The General's Daughter
by JadedPhoenixBurning
Summary: What if Luke met his match while in the Marines and never realized it. What if she found her way to Hazzard all of these years later? Read and Review. Feed back welcomed. Good and Bad, let me know even if the story is finished. Story 2 of a series.
1. A letter from the Captain

**Chapter 1: A letter from the Captain**

**Okay, once again. I don't own DOH. Captain Hart along with any characters that you do not recognize are my own. Unfortunately, that doesn't include the infamous Duke Boys. This story follows after Words Spoken in Jest and it would help to read it to follow along. Jebb Duke lives in Hazzard now and is married to Bo's long lost sister Kira who he was practically engaged to before learning of the relation. There, long story short. Love the reads, greatly appreciate the reviews. **

**Please take the time to let me know what you think, good or bad; even if the story is completed by this time. I welcome constructive criticism along with encouragement. R&R, ENJOY!**

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Luke walked out of the post office with the mail for the farm and headed over to where Bo was waiting in the General Lee. Their orange stock car that they'd built from the engine up and had won nearly every race that they'd ever entered with it. Flipping through the envelopes Luke found one with his name on it.

**SGT. LUKAS K. DUKE**

**176 OLD MILL POND RD**

**H****AZZARD, GEORGIA 55169**

Only one person still addressed him as Sergeant. It meant that the letter was from his old Marine friend, Captain Hart. He'd not gotten a letter from Hart in months; something that had him concerned since he and the captain had been keeping in touch by letters for years. Ever since Luke left the Marines the two had exchanged at least one letter a month, sometimes two, faithfully. Luke was one of the captain's few friends stateside; having grown up a Marine Brat being the child of General Hart.

Luke had been surprised by the instant bond that grew upon meeting while Hart was in officer's training when Luke had been drafted and went to Paris Island for Boot Camp. As a rule, enlisted personnel didn't associated with officers, or vice versa, but this was one instance that the rule was broken and the two became instant friends despite the obvious differences in their backgrounds.

Bo glanced over at the mail as he drove and saw the letter that had jumped to the top of the pile. He knew that Luke hadn't heard from the captain since earlier in the year and his cousin had become concerned for his old Marine pal. Bo also knew that his cousin was barely keeping himself from tearing the letter open right there in the General; even though Luke only read his Marine friend's letters alone. He was careful to not bring his life as a Marine home with him. Going so long without hearing from his friend though, Luke had started to act just a bit antsy; various possibilities of why the sudden stop in correspondence going through his head.

"A letter from Joe?" Luke nodded in response to his cousin's question. "Go ahead and read it. It's not like I can read over your shoulder while I'm driving anyway."

Luke studied the letter and glanced back at his cousin before opening the letter and began to read it.

_Lukas, _

_I'm sorry that I haven't been able to write in a while. I'm glad that things have worked out so well for your cousins. Though I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of you babysitting! Some tough Marine you are now; getting worn out by a couple of infants. You've gotten soft by civilian life, Duke. But I guess it was bound to happen eventually. Next thing you know, you'll be predicting the weather by the aches in your bones. Just kidding, Old Man. I suppose I should be calling you Mother Goose instead, now, huh? _

_Anyway, I suppose I owe you an explanation behind the delay in my response to your last letter. I told you that my unit was stationed at an embassy in the Middle East now. Well, things never are calm there, even when there isn't technically a war going on in the area. That point was proven when the embassy was a victim of a stray mortar shell. And yes, it seems that I've developed your bad habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. _

_I was in the embassy and was injured in the process when it was hit. I'm all healed up by the time that you get this letter so don't bother worrying about me. You worry enough about that family of yours, as it is. You don't need to add me to that list. Unfortunately, I'm being discharged due to medical reasons. I caught some shrapnel in the abdomen and my face got some collateral damage; though I suppose that's no real big loss for the world. I had feared that I'd lose my sight in my right eye but everything is healing up well enough now._

_I've been a Marine all of my life and I'm not sure what I'll do once I'm back stateside. I suppose I'll think of something though. I'll be getting things in order soon. I'll be in Albany, Georgia until I figure out what to do. Though I'm sure that the general will have an idea or two about what he thinks I should do. Of course since I have none of my own I guess it wouldn't hurt to hear a few of his out. _

_I'd better head on out. I'll write as soon as I get back stateside. Hope things are well in Hazzard and that it hasn't been living up to its name lately._

_Talk to you later, Lukas, _

_Cpt. J. Hart_

Luke finished reading over the letter and stuffed it back into its envelope. He was glad to have heard from his friend but knew that having to get used to civilian life wouldn't be easy for the Marine who has only known the discipline of the Corps. He hoped that his friend would be able to handle the big change in life.

Luke couldn't wait to get out of the Marines and get back to the farm that had been his home all of his life. Hart hasn't ever had a place like the farm to call home. Having spent a lifetime, literally, bouncing from one military base to another. It looked like his friend was about to start a whole new chapter in life.

~01~

Over dinner at Jebb's house, the family discussed how the crops were doing, the upcoming races, and of course Bo informed the family that Luke had finally heard from his Marine buddy. Jesse was glad that Luke's friend was alright. He knew that although his oldest hadn't said anything, he'd begun to worry when he'd not gotten a letter in four months.

"Well, since your friend is gonna be around, why don't you invite him out to the farm, Luke. There's always room for an old friend," Jesse said as they all gathered into the living room after the meal was finished and cleaned away.

"Yeh, Luke. It'd be nice to see someone from your time in the Marines that isn't here to tie the rest of us up and kill you."

Kira looked up from nursing one of the babies at Bo's comment. "Say what?"

Bo went on to tell his sister then how one of the men that their cousin had helped to incarcerate while in the Marines escaped with the intent of carrying out a vendetta against the man who had played a large role in his capture. There was one other time when an old pal that had stolen money and hidden it in Hazzard and enlisted Luke's and the family's help in finding it only to turn on them once they'd gotten it.

Kira listened intently at the story along with the others that were pried from her cousin. The telling of the stories piqued Kira's interest, though. Especially the ones that included Luke's friend, Joe Hart. She watched his face carefully as she got him to tell a couple more stories, and since she'd never heard them before, he'd humored her. When Luke helped her take the twins upstairs, she turned to him after both boys were settled into the crib together.

"I think Uncle Jesse's right. You should ask Captain Hart out. Invite her to watch the next race so you can show off for her."

"I don't know, Kira. I-"

Kira laughed when her cousin stopped mid-sentence and looked at her in surprise.

"How did you know that the captain is a woman?"

"Have you forgotten that I used to be one hell of a defense attorney? I learned a long time ago to listen to what's not said on a witness stand right alongside what is said. Luke, I've not been out of the courtroom for so long that I can't still pick up on the cues that you've been giving tonight."

"Like what?" Luke asked defensive since in all of the years since he'd been out of the Marines, none of the others had ever picked up on it. Shoot, if Jesse suspected that he'd been keeping up with a woman by mail for so long, he no doubt would try to turn the relationship into something that it wasn't. And as for Bo, well, he would have had a field day with it.

"Like the whole evening, you never once used a gender biased pronoun when referring to her. You have only referred to her as Jo, the captain, or by Hart. Never once saying he, he'd, he's or his; words like that. So? Spill." Kira put her hands on her hips as staring down her cousin waiting for him to answer her.

"Your kids ain't gonna be able to get away with anything are they?" Luke said in hopes to steer his youngest cousin away from the subject at hand.

"That's the goal. Now, are you gonna fill me in or should I tell Bo what I just learned and let him get it out of you?" Luke sighed knowing that she'd do it, too. He then began to tell about his oldest Marine friend, who just so happened to be a Woman Marine, and about their first encounter.

~01~

_Luke had been looking forward to his first night away from the base on liberty since arriving on Paris Island after having been drafted. He was invited to a local disco club that was popular with the enlisted men by some of his new buddies that he'd made on base. He supposed that it would have to do and help him push some of the homesickness aside. Though none of his new friends could take the place of his friends and family back in Hazzard. Especially Bo. _

_He hated to admit it, but he probably missed his baby cousin more than he'd been told that Bo missed him. Ever since he'd come to the base he'd looked at every new situation imagining just how Bo would have handled them. From the drill sergeant getting up into his face, to the twenty mile hikes with full field packs; all of the way to the meaningless assignments that were designed to break the new recruits. _

_The friends that he'd come to town with said that the club was one of the biggest draws to the Marines in the area. It didn't really play the kind of music that he was used to but he soon began to enjoy his night out._

_"Hey, Duke. You claimed that you were a bit of a ladies man in that backwoods hick town of yours. What do you say that you prove it?"_

_"What 'cha got in mind?" Luke smirked since they'd all been swapping stories of girls back home._

_"See that blonde over there? Twenty bucks says that you can't get her to dance with you."_

_Luke looked over at the bar where some of Women Marines were sitting together. He'd been more than surprised to find an Officer's Training School that trained women right here, alongside the base where the men who were drafted were trained. Not that he was complaining. Luke took in the tall blonde angel as it appeared that she turned down some hapless jerk trying to make a pass at her. Of course he'd done it a bit clumsily._

_"Why twenty? She got a boyfriend or something that you don't want me to know about?"_

_"Nah. She's unattached. I just don't think that you're that good is all."_

_Luke looked back at the blonde and watched as she and her friends laughed over at the bar. "Deal." _

_Luke picked his drink up and carried it over to the bar with him._

_~01~_

_"Jo, can you believe that guy?"_

_"I know, that was the lamest pick up line that I've ever heard. I don't think that one would have even worked in high school." Joanna Hart picked up her glass and turned away from the dance floor. "Why did I let you talk me into coming here? This isn't exactly my idea of a relaxing evening."_

_"Oh, come on. It's fun watching all of the new guys trying to get in good with the general's daughter. Knowing that there'd be no way that they could really stand a chance, what with them being enlisted and all."_

_"Don't you think that we ought to give them a break? I mean, we are here because we want to be. Most of these boys are here because Uncle Sam told them that they have to be. Plus, many of them might as well be considered dead men walking. They'll be shipped to 'Nam just as soon as they finish up here."_

_"Give these losers a break? You've got to be joking." _

_Jo shook her head at her friend since she knew that she got a kick out of leading the men on that all seemed to be from Small Town USA. "It would serve you right if I left and you had to find your own way back. In fact, I'm tempted to walk out the door right now, Steph."_

_"But you won't," Stephanie giggled. "I think I'll go dance with the blond over there. He's kinda cute."_

_"You think that all of the men in here are cute." Jo shook her head in exasperation._

_"What can I say? We're in the heart of Hunk City. All of these lean bodies, toned from the brutal training. And I plan to enjoy it," She answered with a wink. With that, Stephanie got up and strolled toward the young Marine of her choice. _

_Her chair didn't stay empty long though. A dark-haired Marine took Steph's place and he signaled the man behind the bar for a refill. Jo mentally prepared herself for yet another lame pick up line but was surprised when it didn't come from the direction that she'd expected it to. Instead, a man that she'd refused to dance with twenty minutes earlier, who'd had about another three beers since she'd refused to dance with him the last time, came up insisting that she change her mind. And he insisted while grabbing her arm, ready to drag her off to the dance floor. That was when the dark-haired Marine stepped in._

_"I don't think that she wants to dance. Why don't you go find someone who wouldn't mind hitting the floor with a gorilla?" _

_Jo looked back at the recruit who didn't seem fazed by the fact that the 'gorilla' in question just so happened to be a corporal and he was only a Boot._

_"Stay out of this, Maggot. Nobody asked you." _

_Jo saw the fire in the recruit's eyes. She'd expected him to jump head first without thinking. Instead he seemed to be calculating the various possibilities that were going through his head._

_"Nope, they didn't. But how about I do this instead?" Luke turned to Jo and asked, "Do you want to dance with the corporal?"_

_Jo glanced up at between both the slightly drunk man and the recruit. "Not particularly."_

_"See. So I think that you should just back off."_

_"You gonna stop me?" _

_Jo looked back at the recruit who looked very much ready to stop his superior by force if need be. Jo decided that he was either extremely brave or a complete idiot. She'd better do something if she didn't want to be the cause of the young man being ripped a new one._

_"He doesn't have to stop you, Corporal. I'm sure that my father would be more than just a little bit interested in your behavior tonight. Don't you? Harassing his daughter and then picking a fight with a Boot. That's some example you're setting there. How did a brig rat like you ever reach the rank of corporal anyway? So, will I be making that call to the general or are you going to be smart and walk away now?" _

_The threat of calling the general must have gotten through the alcohol haze of the corporal since he did indeed walk away, though not before taking a hard look at the Boot who had dared to challenge him. Once he was gone, Jo turned back to the dark-haired man to her right. Taking a good look at him, she supposed that he was attractive. Though she wasn't about to go off the deep end for every tall dark stranger like Stephanie. _

_"Are you a complete moron? You do realize that you could have gotten into a bit of trouble talking to him like that don't you? Are you in the habit of trying to act the part of a white knight?"_

_"I was raised that a man ought not harass a woman once she turns you down is all. It seemed like he didn't get taught that same lesson. It's never too late to learn em though. Did I hear you right? Your father is a general?" _

_Jo had to laugh when she realized that the recruit didn't know who she was. Seeing a group of guys on the other end of the club who seemed a bit too interested in her conversation with the new Marine, she had a feeling that she knew just why he'd come over. He'd just been waiting for an opportunity to talk to her without coming across as acting lame._

_"I'm afraid so. Are those fellas over there with you?" _

_Luke glanced in the direction of the men who had taken it upon themselves to bring him to the club, and bet him that he couldn't get the general's daughter to dance. Looking at them and seeing their expressions told him that they knew just who the blonde angel was, even if he didn't. He felt like such a fool. Taking that bet when he knew that Uncle Jesse and the others could use as much money as he could send back from his pay since he wasn't there to help with the farm. He should have known that for such a high price, there was something more to this woman than just being an attractive blond that was turning away men when he walked in. _

_"So, you're the cherry that they brought out to play their hazing games, huh?" Jo smirked after Luke nodded._

_"Looks like."_

_"How much was the bet for and what was I supposed to not do so that you have to pay up?" Jo asked just a bit curious._

_Luke felt like kicking himself for being taken in by the older Marines. They'd known just who they were sending him to make a fool of himself in front of. _

_"Twenty, twenty bucks said that I couldn't get you out on the dance floor." _

_Jo cocked a brow. Twenty huh? Well she was the one who told Stephanie that they ought to give the Boots a break. Looking over at the men in the corner, Jo figured that it would be fun to pull one over on them._

_"Well? Aren't you going to ask?"_

_"Huh? Wait a minute. Just like that?" Luke asked just a bit surprised._

_"Well, you did just risk your ass to defend my honor. It seems like a fair price to pay." _

_Luke grinned and extended his hand to the female Marine and escorted her out to the floor and watched as the men that he'd thought were his buddies jaws all dropped. _

_"So, are you planning to tell me your name or should I just make one up for you." _

_Luke put his arms around the young woman, grateful that a slow song had begun to play since he wasn't ready to try some of the dance steps to some of the other songs that had played up until now._

_"Duke, ma'am. My name is Lukas Duke. Everyone just calls me Luke."_

_Jo giggled, "Luke Duke, huh? Who named you, Mother Goose?"_

_"Trust me, I've heard it all. So, do I get to know your name in return?"_

_"I'm Joanna Hart. Just call me Jo. Everyone always has."_

_Luke's eyes lit in recognition before exclaiming, "General Hart is your father?"_

_"I see that it doesn't take long for his reputation to reach the newbies. Don't worry; at least a full five percent of what you've heard is an exaggeration." Jo smirked as she watched Luke process what he was told._

_"Oh, that just makes me feel so much better. So I'll only end up in the brig for what, a month for putting the moves on his daughter?" Luke said causing Jo to give a slight giggle, despite the fact that she hated to giggle in front of men._

_"Ah, but you forget already. I was the one to ask you to dance. Remember?" _

_Jo moved her hand slightly and felt the lean hard muscle beneath it. That kind of muscle wasn't a result of the training that he'd had during the weeks he'd been here. He'd had most of it before becoming a Marine. So maybe he felt a little justified in acting cocky with other men in the room when it came to being able to hold his own in a fight. By the end of the dance, Stephanie was back at the bar waiting for her while teasing some of the men around her. Jo really didn't feel like going back to the bar to where her friend was waiting and got an idea._

_"Luke, what would you say if I told you that I knew a way that you can really make those bozos choke on their beer?"_

_"What'cha got in mind?"_

_"I was planning on leaving anyway. How about you escort me to my car? Then you could either come back or not and come up with some story about why you didn't. Your choice." _

_Luke looked back to the corner and felt a smile cross his face before winking at the men sitting at the table before turning back to Jo._ _"It would be my pleasure, Angel. I was getting bored here anyway." _

_Jo smirked as Luke extended his arm for her to take it. Glancing over at Stephanie, she knew that she'd assume that she was taking the Marine someplace private. But unlike her, she didn't have khaki fever. But she would admit that there was a bit of an attraction to the tall, dark, muscular Marine. _

_Too bad he was an enlisted man. The general would never approve of a romantic relationship with anyone less than an officer. Of course he'll be heading out soon. No time to really start much of a relationship anyway._

~01~

"So, are you planning on runnin' and telling everyone downstairs about Jo now?" Luke leaned against the door frame as he stared at his cousin.

"Nah. If you don't want no one else to know then I won't say nothin'. But that don't mean that I won't tease you on occasion. Come on, if we don't head on down, someone will be bound to come looking for us."

Kira watched her cousin for the rest of the evening and noticed that he seemed a bit nervous now that his secret was out. Oh yes. She could have some fun with this. Because somehow she doubted that Luke would maintain a long-term, long-distance relationship with _just a friend from the Marines _who also just so happened to be a woman.


	2. A Complete Idiot

**Chapter 2: A Complete Idiot**

_Luke had just gotten a letter from home. Jebb had went and gotten himself a brand new motorcycle and had gone out for a stay with everyone out at the farm; wanting to get away from the crying twins at home. Of course, Bo had to try the machine out, too. He and Jebb had been going back and forth trying to outdo the other with crazy stunts and Bo had done one too many. _

_The letter from Uncle Jesse that Luke had gotten this morning had said that Bo had broken his leg in three places. With harvesting coming up, he was needed at home. Sure Uncle Jesse had Jebb there to help some, but he was still only a sophomore in school alongside Bo. Jesse still needed Luke. _

_What was he doing here? Luke folded up his letter and put it in his pocket. He was on liberty tonight but he couldn't even think about enjoying himself while knowing what was going on at home. _

_Luke was so worried about the finances at home and about Bo's injury; he didn't know what to do. He needed to find a way home. Looking around, he saw a Jeep just sitting there, with the keys left in it (not that he couldn't hot wire it if he wanted to) sitting like a gift waiting for him. With him having a pass to be away from the base, no one would be looking for him for a while. If he drove straight home, he could be there by morning. _

_Looking around, he saw no one was around and took off in the Jeep. Even if someone tried to catch him, he could use some old ridge runner's tricks to give them the slip. All he knew was that he had to get home._

_~01~_

_Jo had heard that one of the Boots had lifted a Jeep. She guessed that some men just weren't meant to be in the Marines. Jo was driving her own car near the base when a Jeep sped by. _

_The Marine driving looked eerily familiar. He was the same Marine that she'd taken to meeting at the club over the last few weeks. Alright, it was never arranged but she would be there and he'd show up. It had been made clear to him that she wasn't interested in starting anything and he seemed alright with that. _

_Jo had found it refreshing to talk to a Marine who wasn't either keeping tabs on her for her father or trying to get in her pants. (Okay, that may still be in the back of his mind but at least it wasn't in the front of it.) Jo then turned her car around and headed after the Jeep to stop the vehicle. Her advantage was that the Boot didn't know the layout of the roads around here. He'd just turned down a street that was blocked off. When the Jeep started to back up, Jo blocked the Jeep in and got out of her car._

_"What do you think you're doing?" Jo screamed out as she jumped out of the car._

_Luke hollered back; upset that his way out of the alley was blocked, "I've got to get home. They need me back there! I got to-" _

_"Well this isn't the way to do it." Looking around, she knew that the M.P.'s were probably right behind the Boot. "When I first met you, I tried to figure out if you were brave then or just a complete idiot. I think I've just learned that it's the latter. Get in. I'll get you back to base. Someone will be around for the Jeep any minute." _

_Luke still looked ready to argue his reason for running so Jo added, "You can't do anyone any good if you get caught and locked away for going AWOL!" _

_That seemed to get through since Luke went over to the car and got in. Jo then got back behind the wheel and backed the car out of the alley and headed back the way she'd come while getting Luke to tell her just what had been so important that he had to risk his hide by stealing a Jeep. When Luke told Jo about how tight things were back home, especially without him there to help, Jo couldn't help but to feel for him. She could also see how worried he was for his injured cousin. _

_"Did you even think to call your Uncle and talk to him before running? From the way that you've described him, I think that he'd be right upset by this stunt that you've pulled."_

_"No I ain't called him. I got that letter and I just couldn't think straight. I figured that since I was on liberty, I could at least get a good head start on getting home before anyone realized that I was gone."_

_"So you are on liberty, well, at least you're not AWOL. Now if we can just keep anyone from figuring out that it was you who took the Jeep." Jo noticed the increased in the traffic. Great. They're checking I.D's. "We're not going to be able to duck them. We're going to have let them catch us."_

_"Let them catch us? How's that supposed to work?" _

_"If we are obviously trying to avoid the M.P.s, then they'll know something is up. We'll pull over up ahead," Jo said slightly annoyed that she had to explain her way of thinking to the man beside her. _

_Luke looked up ahead and saw where there was a small restaurant near another alley._ _"I hope you know what you're doin'."_

_"It's a better plan than you had." _

_Jo looked sideways at Luke to see him crossing his arms in indignation as she pulled the car over. Getting out, both she and Luke headed for the sidewalk and Jo slipped her arm through Luke's. _

_"Act natural. You're just out for the evening with a woman, trying to have a good time. We'll let them draw their own conclusions when they see us." _

_Luke cocked an eyebrow, wondering how Jo's plan was supposed to keep him out of the brig. Up ahead, Luke saw the M.P.s and he automatically started to look around for a place to bolt. _

_"Stop fidgeting. You'll draw attention to yourself." _

_To Luke's credit, he did try to relax. As the two neared the alleyway next to the small restaurant, Jo felt the muscles in Luke's arm tighten in response to the closeness of the Military Police that he knew were looking for him. Glancing in the direction of the M.P.s, Jo nudged Luke into the alley._

_"Now what? They saw us but you said that we weren't going to run," Luke asked since he was a bit confused._

_"We're not, but you have to relax before they get any closer."_

_"And how am I supposed to do that when the M.P.s are breathing down my neck?"_

_Jo backed up against wall of the building pulling Luke to her, stretching slightly to reach up, and gave him a kiss full on the lips. Instantly, Luke forgot all about the fact that the Military Police were a mere few yards away. Luke moved in closer, pressing up against Jo, having wanted to kiss her for weeks but hadn't dared. Considering that she was an officer in training and he was only an enlisted Boot who'd been drafted. _

_Jo moved a hand to Luke's shortened hair as his hands moved to her hips. The thought crossed Jo's mind that maybe this hadn't been such a bright idea after all. Luke was too good at this; it was hard to keep in mind that this whole scene was for the benefit of the M.P.s. She wasn't sure which of the two deepened the kiss, maybe they both did. She opened her mouth to the invasion of Luke's tongue as it dueled with her own as she felt her knees weaken. Jo felt one of Luke's hands start to slide upwards toward her breast and was trying to decide whether to stop him when he was suddenly pulled away from her by one of the M.P.s. _

_When Jo looked up at the Military Policemen and saw that one of the men was a fellow Marine Brat that she'd known most of her life. Jo figured that she'd better really play this up now._

_"Daniels, what are you doing?" _

_"Hart? What are you doing with this guy?"_

_"What does it look like? We were sort of in the middle of something before you interrupted. I know that my father has gone to some great lengths to ruin some of my dates in the past, but this just takes the cake. This is the first time that he's sent the M.P.s after me while I was out." _

_Luke sent her a questioning look. How was this going to help him? He now had an M.P. on either side of him, holding on to him tightly._

_"Date? You're out with this Boot?" One of the M.P.s asked._

_"Like you didn't know, Daniels. Why else would you be here?"_

_"We got a report that a recruit matching this Boot's description has stolen a Jeep. We're going to have to take him in."_

_"Most Boots look about the same. Besides, when was this? If Luke was stealing a Jeep while we were out, don't you think that I'd notice? We came to the restaurant in my car. It's kind of hard to be in two vehicles at once isn't it?"_

_"So you're vouching for this recruit's where abouts?" Daniels studied the man that had been making out with Joanna Hart when he'd come up. "Are you in the habit of keeping company with an enlisted Boot? I highly doubt that the general would approve."_

_"No, he probably wouldn't. But he doesn't have to know, does he?" Jo answered with a glare. She really was fed up with having so many people monitoring just who all she kept company with. It wasn't all that hard to feign annoyance at the situation._

_Daniels gave a hard look at the new Marine, watched as he started to sweat at the brow. He guessed that if he'd just gotten caught feeling up the general's daughter he'd be sweating, too. Looking back at the woman whom he'd practically grown up with; he saw that her face was a mask of irritation. It appeared that these two really had been out on a date when they interrupted them. This meant that the Boot who swiped the Jeep was still out there; probably getting away while he was wasting time here._

_"You'd better be a bit more careful. You know as well as I do that the general would flip if he knew that you were out with a Boot."_

_"Let him flip." Jo shrugged her shoulders._

_She was nearly holding her breath, waiting to see if Daniels and the other M.P. were going to leave. She could almost place a wager that Daniels would report to her father that she was seen with a recruit, but that was better than Luke being taken in for stealing the Jeep. When the two Marines headed back to the entrance to the alley, Jo relaxed slightly. Keeping one eye on the M.P.s, she slipped her hand through Luke's arm and gave him a wink. _

_"Come on. We'll talk inside," Jo whispered._

_"I can't afford this place."_

_"So you'll owe me. You can bet that they'll wait to see if we go in."_

_Luke had to give a slight smile; wondering if that was an invitation to ask her out later. Going out on a real date would be different than just meeting at the club like they've been doing. Of course the kiss that they'd just shared might have had a part in that smile, too. He knew that Jo had only wanted to be friends, but he'd never gotten a kiss like that from someone who was just a friend before._

_"How about you tell me more about that farm of yours over dinner? I've never been on a farm." _

_Jo figured that she'd better try to get both of their minds off of the incident outside, especially the kiss. She was getting butterflies just thinking about it. She was trying to tell herself that she was only doing what needed to be done to help out a friend. But maybe there was a little more to it than that. And that scared the Hell out of her._

~01~

Luke woke up ready for chores after dreaming about various encounters with his old Marine friend. Especially the one kiss that never seemed to be far from his mind whenever he and Jo were together. Or even when he'd just read her letters. Aside from the family's and Cooter's letters, Jo's letters had helped him get through his time in 'Nam. They'd kept in touch while he was over seas, and for a while, when she was there, too.

Women weren't assigned to the front lines; usually they were assigned well behind the lines where it was considered _safe_ but that didn't mean that they hadn't at times been in just as much danger as the men on the front lines. In fact, Jo had been in Saigon when it fell and had been one of the last of the Women Marines stationed there to be pulled out before all Hell had broken loose.

She'd seen the devastation over there right along with him. He'd been able to discuss parts of his life while in the Marines that he never would have told his family. She also was in Okinawa when he'd been rotated out of Vietnam and stationed there before being brought back to the States toward the end of his tour.

Looking at the letter again before waking Bo up for chores, Luke tried to decide if he should invite Jo to Hazzard. He was torn between wanting to see her again and not really wanting to face the feelings that he'd been able to ignore as long as she wasn't within arm's reach.

Shoving the letter back into his nightstand, he figured that he'd better get the day started.


	3. An invitation to Hazzard

**Chapter 3: An invitation to Hazzard**

_Dear Captain Hart, _

_I'd like to personally extend an invitation to you to come to Hazzard. After hearing my cousin's stories, I feel that I almost know you and can tell you that I'm sure that Luke would enjoy seeing you again after such a long time. It would be nice to meet one of Luke's old Marine Pals. He doesn't share much of his life from when he was in the Marines but it is obvious that Luke thinks a lot of you, Captain. _

_Enclosed is a list of races that Luke will be at along with dates (most of which he'll be driving at since many of the local races have decided to disqualify former NASCAR drivers but Luke never drove for NASCAR, he was a mechanic, not a driver). I'm sure that he'd get a kick out of being able to show you what he can do behind the wheel. _

_As our Uncle Jesse has said, there's always room for a friend to come visit. We'll have a room set up for you if you come. Luke doesn't know that I'm writing you__..._

Jo looked up from the letter. So she'd gotten an invitation to Hazzard, just not from Lukas. Looking back at the piece of paper, she continued reading the letter from his cousin who had written her. Somehow, when she'd gotten the letter today, she'd expected it to be from the sergeant. Not a family member of his. Maybe he doesn't want her to go to Hazzard.

After finishing the letter, Jo stuck it in her pocket and finished putting her stuff into storage. She'd decided to take a road trip and get a load of the countryside. The most that she'd ever seen of the country while stateside had always been within driving distance of a military installation. Since there was no rush on figuring out what she should do now that she couldn't be a Marine, Jo figured that she might as well as take the opportunity to see the sights that she's never had. She'll just jump in the car and see where the road would take her. For once in her life not worrying about having a plan or a destination.

~01~

Bo hated the fact that he was stuck sitting on the sidelines waiting for his cousin to cross the finish line. He knew that he wouldn't be allowed to drive in the derby today, but he'd not learned until they'd arrived this morning that he wouldn't even be allowed to ride in the General Lee during the race.

Stupid regulations.

He wasn't meant to be a spectator. Looking around the crowd, he was able to pick out various faces of many people that he knew along with a few that he didn't. There seemed to be more people at the race than usual. Maybe they figured that the derby would be more of an actual race now that he wasn't allowed to drive in it.

There were still two other Duke Boys driving today though; one of which was in the orange stock car that has always been unbeatable at this race.

"You look like you're looking for someone, Bo-Bear." Kira came up behind her brother with a blond haired five month old little boy in each arm. "Expecting someone?"

"I was kinda hopin' that the captain would be here is all. I invited Joe out, even sent a list of race dates to him. I figured that it'd be a nice surprise for Luke."

"You invited the captain to Hazzard? And Luke doesn't know?" Kira let out a small laugh. Somehow she thought that if Jo came out to Hazzard, Luke wouldn't be the only one surprised.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I'm just not sure that you should have taken it upon yourself to invite a friend of Luke's out without even lettin' him know is all," Kira said in response to Bo's slight pout at her laughing at him.

Mikey stretched out his arms to his uncle so Bo took him from his sister while Jay still clung tight to his mother. The twins certainly had their own personalities. Mikey was already showing himself to be the more outgoing of the two Baby Dukes while Jay was quiet and seemed to be content to just watch everything around him in silent amazement.

Jesse had compared them to him and Luke. Luke was always the observer in comparison to Bo's enthusiastic, bubbly personality. In other words, Jesse told Jebb and Kira to expect Mikey to get the two into a lot of trouble, but they'll probably not even know half of the stuff that Jay will get into. He'll figure out how to get himself out of trouble before the two parents even knew that something is up.

Jay also was the first of the two to get stranger anxiety. Though how that term could fit even being timid with family members, Bo couldn't understand. Sometimes, not even Jebb could calm the younger twin down. He'd only be satisfied with his mother while Mikey went eagerly to any of the family members, though he did shy away from non-relatives.

"Kira, if I asked Luke, it would sort of ruin the surprise. Besides, he didn't show anyway."

"How do you know? You've never met the captain. How do you know who to look for?"

"He just got out of the Marines didn't he? I'll just keep an eye out for a military style haircut."

Kira had to smile. It would be just that easy huh?

Well, knowing what Bo had done, Kira figured that she'd better keep a look out for the Marine friend of Luke's too. Kira wasn't sure what to expect if she came to Hazzard, but Kira couldn't wait to see if Jo would take Bo up on his invitation. Because if she did, Kira had the feeling that things could get interesting. She'll have to keep in mind to watch out at the next few races too. Just in case the captain showed up.

~01~

"Aw, come on, Luke. You agreed to go to the Charity Masquerade. You didn't think that you could go in your jeans and plaid shirt did you?"

Daisy was at her sewing machine, stitching together the costume that she'd designed for her oldest cousin to wear to the masquerade that was being held the following weekend.

The women's club had decided that this year they would raise money for the hospital to bring a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to the area. After the twins were born premature they were sent all of the way to Atlanta to be cared for while Kira was still in Tri-County. Kira didn't even get to see the babies until after she was transferred to Atlanta. A full seventy-two hours after they were born.

After Kira's experience, the club decided that they should try to do something so that no other mothers would have to be separated from their babies like she had been. After all, it could have been almost anyone of them to have been in her shoes. The masquerade was just one of many functions that Daisy and Lulu have in mind to use as fundraisers.

"Why couldn't you have given me the costume that you made for Bo? I'm gonna look like an idiot in that thing," Luke scowled.

"Because Bo was smart enough to tell me what he wanted his costume to be. Sheree Beth is even going to be his wench to his pirate costume. They'll look adorable together. You didn't give me any ideas when I asked so I asked some of the girls around town what your costume should be for the dance. So that's what you're gonna be," Daisy said insistently in a way that told Luke that she wouldn't budge on the costume.

"Great. I have to dress up like a damn fool and pay to do it to boot."

"Well, maybe next time you're asked for your opinion on something, you'll give it. Otherwise, you'll just have to learn how to deal with whatever the outcome is."

"Can't I just pay for the ticket and not show up?" Luke asked hopefully.

"No!" Daisy looked up from her sewing as she shouted. "You promised that you'd go! So I don't want to hear another word about it."

Luke sighed, resigning himself to the fact that he wasn't going to get out of wearing that ridiculous outfit, in public no less. Well, at least he can console himself with the fact that he wouldn't have to wear it during the charity race on the afternoon the day before the dance. So the whole weekend won't be a complete waste. As Luke walked by the phone, it rang so he picked it up.

"Duke Farm, Luke Duke speaking."

_"Hello, Lukas. I figured that I'd give you a call instead of writing a letter this week."_

"Jo!" Daisy looked up as her cousin spoke. Luke suddenly felt slightly self-conscious of talking in front of her. "Where are you?"

_"I'm not exactly sure. I've just been driving around, taking in the scenery and enjoying the freedom of not having a plan for once. Not having to keep track of time or anything."_

"Invite the captain to the masque, Luke!" Luke gave Daisy a look at her outburst. Looking around the room, he picked up the phone cradle and pulled on the cord to stretch it out.

_"Who was that?"_

"That was my cousin, Daisy; ignore her."

Daisy scrunched her nose up. She didn't care to be ignored. Luke, however, did exactly that. He pulled the phone cord along with him as headed toward the guest room so he could talk in private.

_"She said something about a mask?"_

"A masquerade. She and Lulu are at it again."

_"Oh, no. I'm guessing that she has you some humdinger of an outfit to wear, too."_

Luke could hear the amusement in her voice. "It's enough to make me want to re-enlist." Luke gave Daisy a pointed look as he closed the door to the sight of Daisy with her hands on her hips.

Bo came in to seeing Daisy staring at the door right after it was closed behind her oldest cousin. "Hey, Daisy. Something wrong?"

"Nah. Just Luke being hard to deal with about his costume." Daisy relaxed and went back over to the sewing machine. Looking at the phone cord, Bo raised his brows in a silent question. "Joe called Luke. He locked himself in the bedroom when I asked him to invite the captain out to the masquerade next weekend."

"Uh, Daisy. I don't think that Luke would want any of his tough old Marine buddies seeing him dressed in all of this fro-fro stuff that you've put on his costume. Don't you think that you went overboard just a little?"

"Careful, Bo. You know, it ain't too late for me to add anything to your costume."

Bo raised his hands in defense, "Nah, that's alright. You just keep working on Luke's outfit. I'm happy with mine the way it is."

Inside the bedroom, Luke couldn't help but smile as he heard Jo laugh; despite the fact that she was laughing at him. It had been too long since he'd heard that sound. _"So I guess that I should refer to you as one of the Brothers Grimm instead of Mother Goose now, huh?" _

Oh yeh, he knew that she'd like that.

"I think that you're liking this just a little too much, Jo."

_"Oh come on, Lukas. It all sounds like fun. Plus you did say that it's all for a good cause. Suck it up, Duke."_

"Oh you think so, do you? I doubt that you'd be willing to dress up like danged fool, even for charity."

_"Oh you don't do you?"_

"Nope. I don't," Luke said emphatically.

_"Lukas, do you forget that with my father being a general, I've had the unpleasant experience of having to go to the Marine's Ball nearly every November over the last few years. And I've had to be dressed in a humpty dumpty outfit for it, too. Assuming that your cousin isn't having you wearing heels you've got nothing on me, Lukas. Although, from the sound of it, she might like the suggestion." _

~01~

The following Friday, Luke and Bo were at the starting line of Old Ridgerunner's Race. Bo was to be the driver and Luke would be the loader. Luke would load boxes of moonshine jugs filled with water into the trunk at the start of the race and then would be responsible for unloading them as well at the end of the race.

Currently, Kira was personally going through each and every box to ensure that the jugs only contained water and that Boss hadn't slipped any actual whiskey into any of the jugs. When she'd gotten to the next to the last box she dipped her finger into the jug and tasted the contents. When she did, she raised her eyes to meet Hogg's and watched him as she lifted the jug out of the box and proceeded to pour the contents onto the ground. When she did, she could almost hear the bald man whimper at the money being wasted as the clear liquid seeped into the Georgia clay beneath her feet.

"Enos! Do me a favor and put some water in this jug for me, will ya?"

"Sure thing, Kira."

Enos took the jug from the woman and took a sniff. Yep. No doubt about it. There had been moonshine in it. It's a good thing that Kira had checked all of the jugs instead of just the first few. Especially since part of the race will be crossing into Chickasaw County. No doubt, Sheriff Little was already waiting at the county line in anticipation of the Duke Boys bringing corn whiskey into his county.

In the next car, Cooter and Jebb were getting their car that they'd entered ready; one of Cooter's fixer uppers. They had teamed up for the race and since Cooter had beaten Jebb in the last race, Cooter would get to drive in this one while Jebb got to do the heavy lifting.

Finally, all of the cars were ready. A total of twenty men standing at the ready as ten cars were primed and ready to go. There were set checkpoints scattered along the course, but each driver was given the freedom to choose his own path to each of those checkpoints.

Bets were being placed as with any other race, but unlike the winnings from the other races, all of the winnings from these bets being placed would go toward the fund for the new Neonatal Unit. Already, Kira and Jebb pledged to match the total raised for weekend and Kira loved watching J.D. Hogg's face when Jebb challenged him to do the same at the pre-race meeting. It was even funnier to watch when Lulu accepted the challenge for him.

When the cars all cranked up, Kira was amazed that the twins didn't end up screaming at the noise. There they were, as content as can be in the stroller, both giggling at the cars speeding away from the town square. Only Dukes could find the sound of the cars firing up relaxing.

Pushing the stroller back away from the now vacant starting line, Kira scanned the crowd as the spectators all began to disperse while they waited for word from the first checkpoint. Kira headed toward the garage to get the boys out of the hot sun. It was decided to have the race start in town rather than at the Boar's Nest to help give it a more family friendly atmosphere since this race was for the benefit of babies.

When the first checkpoint reported in, it was no surprise that the General Lee was heads and shoulders ahead of the pack. Cooter wasn't doing so bad, himself. He and Jebb were in the second car to pass the assigned checkpoint. The crowd around the square sent up rally cries as the various cars were reported on.

As the race neared an end and the last checkpoint reported in, Kira was surprised that Cooter was doing a pretty good job with keeping up with the General. Of course he, alongside the rest of the Dukes, was probably the only one in Hazzard that knew all of the shortcuts that Bo would be taking across country. It would be a cinch for Cooter and Jebb to at least come in a close second, several car lengths ahead of any other car.

Kira watched from the bench outside of the garage as the crowd began to make their way back to the grandstand that had been set up. Off to the side, standing in front of the hotel, Kira spotted an individual that, to her, stood out. The clothes were civilian, but the stance was definitely military. She asked Daisy to watch the boys who were now sleeping in their stroller in the shade of the garage's overhang.

Daisy watched as her cousin strolled down the sidewalk in the direction of the hotel. She reckoned that she just needed to stretch her legs a bit, but this was certainly an odd time to do it. The race was bound to be over any minute now. Surely she'd want to be there to congratulate all of the fellas once they made it across the finish line.

Jo scanned the crowd, an old habit that she just couldn't break. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Despite the fact that she was on the outside looking in, she couldn't help but enjoy herself as well. Looking down the street, Jo watched as children made a game of dodging the sheriff who was trying to catch them for some misdeed. The antics were so funny she couldn't help but laugh.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt, but you wouldn't happen to be Jo Hart would you?"

Jo turned around and found a red-headed woman a few years younger than herself standing behind her. "It depends. You are?"

"I'm Kira Duke, Luke's cousin." Kira stretch out her hand to shake the woman's hand.

"How did you know it was me?" Jo accepted the hand with a smile.

"Well, I've not seen many women standing _at ease_ around Hazzard. Plus, ever since I heard that my brother wrote to you, I've been tryin' to keep an eye out for you at the races," Kira replied.

"You're Bo's sister? Oh, you are that cousin! The one who has twins and is married to the other cousin."

"Yeh, I'm that cousin." Kira laughed while wondering just what her oldest cousin has told the captain about her.

Back at the garage, Daisy was trying to calm the youngest Duke down. Jay had woken up to the sound of the approaching cars racing to the finish line and started to scream like a banshee when he couldn't see his mother.

"Oh, it's alright, sugar. Your momma will be right back." Daisy did her best to soothe the screaming baby, wondering just how Mikey was able to sleep through Jay's tantrum. Looking up, she watched the General come to a screeching halt to allow Luke to unload the mock-shine and was just finishing as Cooter and Jebb came in behind them.

Jo and Kira had fallen into a friendly conversation, (about Luke what else) while exchanging laughs as Kira explained that the rest of the Dukes were expecting her to be a man. Soon the two women looked up at the sound of the race cars heading back into town.

"Come on, I can't wait for everyone to know that you're here. Especially Luke."

"Lead the way." Jo motioned for Kira to show her the way to the others while laughing at the idea that Luke had never told the others that she was a woman.

When Jebb and Cooter finished their part in the race, Jebb headed over to the garage where he could hear Jay crying up a storm. Which meant that Kira was likely elsewhere if the normally quieter baby was screaming so. When Jebb got over to the garage he saw that Jay had worked himself up so much that his face was plum red.

"Hey, buddy, what's the matter?" Jay turned to the sound of his father's voice and reached out to him. "Oh I see, I ain't good enough when your momma's around but I'll do in a pinch, huh?" Jebb laughed as took his youngest from his cousin.

"He woke up when you guys were pullin' back into town. Kira had asked me to watch them, I guess she figured that she'd be back before they woke up," Daisy said grateful that Jebb was now there to care for the youngest Duke.

"Where would she have gone so close to the end of the race?" Bo asked as he came up with Luke, both smiling ear to ear from winning the race with such ease.

"Beats me. I just figured that she needed to stretch her legs a bit. I doubt that she thought that the kids would wake up while she was gone," Daisy replied.

"No I didn't. But I knew that you could handle the boys, Daisy." Kira smiled as she watched Jay's head snapped up at hearing his mother's voice and started to look around for her. She'd never get tired of seeing that. Her heart warm at the thought that she was the most important person in her sons' lives right now. Kira walked over to Jebb and took Jay from him. "Besides, I have a surprise for ya'll."

"What kind of surprise?" Luke smirked as he watched Jay reach for his mother, tossing his father aside like yesterday's newspaper.

"Why don't you turn around and find out." Kira smiled, fully ready to enjoy the show that was about to play out.

Luke gave first Kira, then the others around him, a questioning look before shrugging his shoulders and turning around.

"Jo!"


	4. Once upon a Time

**Chapter 4: Once upon a Time**

Bo turned at his cousin's outburst to find a tall, gorgeous blonde wearing military issue sunglasses standing in the doorway to the garage. His jaw dropped at the sight of her. Luke seemed to fumble as he tried to decide if he was supposed to salute his former superior or not.

"Relax, we aren't in the Marines anymore, you don't have to salute." Jo went forward to give Luke a hug to greet the man she hadn't seen in years.

"What are you doin' here?" Luke asked his friend as he pulled back to get a good look at her.

"Well, after I got off of the phone with you the other day, I took a look at the list of races that your cousin sent me and figured that I could use the opportunity to take in a race and get a chance to see you humiliated tomorrow night all in one shot." Jo grinned as she gave Luke that last jab.

Luke's face contorted a bit at the reminder of the outfit that he was to wear the next night. "You were sent a list of races?" Luke turned around and gave a questioning look to Kira.

"Don't look at me. Wrong twin." Kira hid her face in Jay's thin baby fine hair as she continued to soothe the upset baby. That comment seemed to snap Bo out of his daze.

"You're the Captain Joe Hart that Luke's been writing to ever since he got out of the Marines? But you're a woman!"

"Well, I can see that you don't need your eyesight checked. You must be Bo." Jo laughed as she stepped forward to shake Bo's hand.

"Yes ma'am. I, uh…" Bo sent a look to his older cousin. How could he have kept something like this a secret for so long? "I mean, pleased to meet you," Bo said as he accepted the woman's hand. "So, Luke, how come you never told us that Jo was a woman?"

"You never asked. I never said that she wasn't, though." Luke smirked, trying to hide his discomfort.

"Captain Hart, I'm Daisy. It's nice to meet you." Daisy walked up laughing as she shook her head at her cousins as well as the mechanic who still was staring at Jo in shocked amazement.

It wasn't often that she met a woman that might have been able to beat her out of her title as _Miss Tri-County_. She could certainly see why all of the men in the room were practically drooling over her. At least the only married man in the room had the good sense to try to hide his attraction. Though knowing her female cousin, she hadn't missed a thing. It's a good thing that she had a thick skin when it came to Jebb looking at other women. Otherwise he could have ended up sleeping on the couch tonight.

"When did you get into Hazzard, Captain?"

"Please, call me Jo. I got in just before the roads were all closed down for the race this morning. I was able to get checked into the hotel just before the race started."

"A hotel, now honey, our Uncle Jesse would tan our hides if we didn't insist that you stay out at the farm."

Daisy gave Luke an amused look. She just knew that there had to be a story behind his and the captain's relationship. That look told him that the moment that she got him alone, she intended to hear it, too.

"Oh, I don't think so, Daisy." Jo smiled at Luke's cousin, feeling like she had a pretty good idea of what the look she was giving Luke meant. "I'm a horrible house guest. I'd better stay at the hotel."

"Well, you're at least coming out for dinner then."

Daisy gave a look to Luke to tell him that he should have been the one to invite the captain out, not her. But if Luke was going to forget his manners, then she'd just do it herself.

"Daisy's right," Luke said in response to Daisy's glare. "I'm sure that Uncle Jesse would love to meet you. Meanwhile, I see that you've met my cousin Kira. The other blond beside her is my cousin Jebb and those are their boys. And of course that ugly mug beside Daisy is my old friend Cooter."

"Nice to meet you, Captain. And disregard the old part. Luke here has always been a bit envious of me, is all."

Luke rolled his eyes as Cooter went to kiss Jo's hand.

"Where is Jesse anyway? I thought that he was with ya'll at the beginning of the race," Luke asked trying to ease his own tension a bit.

"He went off with the Widow Meadows right after the beginning of the race," Kira answered.

Luke wasn't fooling any of them. They all knew him too well. He wasn't enjoying having his secret relationship laid bare before the rest of them. He wanted to displace everyone's attention to Jesse's love life so that no one would ask any uncomfortable questions in front of Jo.

"That old buzzard is off with Miss Lucinda? Well, I guess that you just ain't never too old for romance." Cooter laughed at the thought of the Duke patriarch courting an old flame.

"Good news, Cooter. That means that there is still hope for you." Jebb jabbed Cooter in the ribs as he joked with the old family friend.

"I think that Daisy and I had better get on out to the farm to start on supper." Kira looked over Cooter knowing that he was sure to want to continue to watch Luke's song and dance once Jo was introduced to Uncle Jesse. "Cooter, why don't you plan to join us? Then we can all sit around and have a nice friendly chat with Luke's friend." Luke gave Kira a dirty look. She was enjoying this all too much. "Captain Hart, I mean Jo, I'm sure that Luke can make sure that you get out to the farm alright."

Kira put Jay back into the stroller and headed toward the door. Daisy then reluctantly left with Kira for the farm.

"We'll see you at dinner, Captain. Come on you guys, I think the rest of us still have some work to do to get the square ready for the Masque tomorrow night." Jebb took the silent suggestion from his wife and pushed for the other two men to leave Luke alone with his _Old Marine Pal._ Though not before Cooter leaned in and whispered to Luke.

"Hey, Luke, she said that you didn't need to salute her." Cooter grinned as Luke's face turned red but left before he could say anything back.

Luke couldn't help but be a bit embarrassed. Somehow being in the same room with Jo made him feel like he was eighteen again. Complete with the lack of control over certain bodily functions. It had been a while since he'd needed to shove his hands in his pockets to disguise such a thing.

"Well, that was fun. Any reason why you never told anyone that I'm a woman, Lukas?" Jo cocked an eyebrow at her old friend as she smirked at him.

"I just didn't need the grief that I knew that they'd give me if they knew that I was stayin' in contact with a woman is all. I guess that it's comin' my way, now."

"I'm sure you'll survive, Duke. Well, how about you show me just what makes this place live up to its name until it's time to make our way to that farm of yours?" Jo slipped her arm through Luke's as the two of them headed back out to the street.

From there, Luke began to take Jo around town, showing off his home town to the woman that he'd first met back when he was in boot camp.

~01~

"The captain is a what?"

Jesse had just gotten home and was quickly informed by what all he'd missed by not going to the garage instead of _finding a quiet place to talk _and spending some time with Lucinda.

The old friend that Luke had been keeping in touch with for so long was a woman? Luke's never had more than a passing fling with the occasional woman, along with the constant string of one night stands for which there have always been an abundance of women waiting in line to fill the role as his temporary mattress. It was one of the reasons that he'd always said that him or Bo settling down and starting a family was about as likely as hogs producing beef.

But for Luke to maintain a real relationship with a woman? Even if that relationship was only a long distance one. Shoot, in Jesse's opinion that had to be a harder way to build one. He'd never would have thought that his oldest could have pulled something like this off.

"Wait a minute, Kira; how did you know?"

"I just listened to his stories the same as the rest of you and followed my gut. I'll admit, Luke's face was priceless when I talked to him about it." Kira put Mikey in the playpen with his brother as she spoke, "Are you ready to watch him squirm over dinner?"

"Are you kiddin'? After findin' out that the boy's been holdin' out on us all of this time? So, you talked to her. Is there anything between them two?"

Kira thought for a minute before answering her uncle. "There hasn't been, but that could change I think. Jo was the general's daughter and an officer. That made her off limits to Luke while he was in the Marines. But neither of them are in the Marines anymore. Plus, I'd be willing to bet that they both know one another a lot better by now than most folks know about one another before they decide to get married. But I guess it would depend on just how determined they'll both be to just stay friends on whether or not they go further."

Jesse nodded as he accepted his niece's opinion on Luke and the captain. She'd learned how to read people fairly well while she was a Public Defender in Atlanta and her reasoning was sound. If Jo is indeed the daughter of a general, Luke would have been a danged fool to try anything with her while enlisted. But obviously there was at least some sort of a connection between the two for his rambling nephew to have developed a relationship with the woman who only now was coming to Hazzard.

"Well, let's get the dinner ready so we can welcome the captain to Hazzard properly then."

Jesse turned and helped Daisy in the kitchen as he began to think over all of the things that Luke had ever told him about Captain Hart. She must be quite a woman to have earned such a place of high esteem in Luke's mind and, possibly, his heart.

~01~

The Dukes as well as both dinner guests were all out at the picnic table enjoying the evening breeze while eating the fried chicken that Daisy had made for the meal. The table constantly erupted in laughter as various stories were shared where one Luke Duke seemed to play a pivotal role in each one. Some of which made Luke more than just a little uncomfortable. Though his uncle made sure to share some that he could feel proud about, Bo and Cooter seemed to take great pleasure in doing the opposite.

Looking at his uncle, Luke was certain that the older Duke was already trying to picture Jo as one of the family. Maybe even imagining what she'd look like in a wedding dress. Something that he'd been unable to witness when Jebb married Kira since they'd eloped (though at least the Dukes at the table had all been there). But a woman getting married in jeans and a sweater was a bit different than a long white gown. He knew that Jesse would react like that. It had been one of the reasons behind keeping that major detail about Jo a secret.

Eventually, the conversation shifted to the party the next night. Much to his displeasure since Daisy was going on about just how she'd come to decide what costume to make for him. Then she shared that once she had started on Luke's costume, Rebecca Ann (Luke's date to the masque) made a costume of her own to compliment his.

"Only one date, Duke? You must be slipping. I seem to remember that you were the one that would arrange at least two dates on a regular basis while in Okinawa."

"Two?" Bo looked back and forth between the two Marines. Finally, someone who could fill in some of the blanks about just what Luke had done in the time frame during which he'd been away from the farm.

Jo laughed as she remember the playboy that Luke had shown himself to be while on leave in Japan. "One date for the afternoon. One for the evening. I can't tell you just how many of the Women Marines who served under me he went through. Of course there was this other time when-"

"I don't think they need to hear anymore, Jo," Luke cut her off. Somehow, he felt that his image of being the responsible Duke just might be in jeopardy with Jo here to tell of some of his less flattering escapades while in Marines.

Jo gave him a grin but stopped the story before it really got underway. The rest of the family all had their interest piqued now but no matter how they pushed, Jo wasn't sharing anymore about the incident that she'd mentioned. When Daisy realized that the captain wouldn't share more of the dirt that she had on her cousin, she asked her to share some stories of growing up as a Marine Brat instead.

Jo shared some of her stories about life as the daughter of General Thomas Hart. The whole time Luke could sense his uncle's eyes watching him every time he touched Jo or went on to tell a story of his own. Making sure that whatever story he told never painted himself in a bad light.

"Well, Jo. You said earlier that part of the reason you came to Hazzard was the masque. Does that mean that you'll go?" Daisy was all for seeing more of Luke's old friend, though the fact that he already had a date might put a wrinkle in any possible opportunity for romance. Maybe Bo was right, she has read too many trashy romance novels.

"I don't see why not. It seems like it's for a good cause." Not to mention, she couldn't wait to see the outrageous outfit that Daisy has made for Luke. "I think that I could scare up an outfit to wear tomorrow night. And if not, I could always go as Lady Godiva." Jo laughed as the men at the table all choked on their drinks or food at the same time. "That was a joke, fellas."

Luke tried to regain control of his breathing after having far too much lemonade go down the wrong way. Somehow he doubted that many of the men in Hazzard would mind seeing Jo dressed (or undressed) as Lady Godiva.

The cousins all tried to hide their amusement as Luke tried to convince Jo that she probably wouldn't have a good time at the party. That there was no need for her to go if she didn't really want to. Bo especially started to picture just how much fun it could be watching Luke while Jo Hart was in town. He just hoped that Rebecca Ann could handle sharing Luke's attention tomorrow night because he had the feeling that Luke won't be able to keep his attention on the raven-haired beauty as long as a certain blonde ex-Marine was around.

~01~

"I can't do it, Daisy. I can't go to town wearing this thing."

Luke tugged at his collar as he looked at himself in the mirror. Daisy then walked up behind her cousin to straighten out various bits and pieces of the costume that had bunched as Luke fidgeted. Daisy herself was going as Alice and Darcy was going as the Mad Hatter.

"Oh come on, Luke. It's only for a couple of hours. Now you'd better get a move on. Rebecca Ann is waiting for her _Prince Charming _to pick her up. She's going as Snow White. Now hurry up. Get goin'."

Luke took one last look at the mirror in a mix of revulsion and embarrassment. How did he always let his cousin talk him into things like this? How was he going to make it through the night?

"Well, just look at you." Luke looked up when he heard Uncle Jesse walked into the room.

"Uncle Jesse? What are you supposed to be?" Luke saw Daisy put her hands on her hips.

"Isn't it obvious? He's Father Time. Miss Lucinda is going as Mother Nature."

Luke had the feeling that he knew exactly who had made the costume that, to Luke, made his uncle look more like Moses rather than Father Time. Shaking his head, he figured that he might not want to say that out loud.

"I'll see you at the masque, Uncle Jesse." Daisy turned her head as she heard Darcy's car pull up. "Make sure that he leaves, too. Otherwise, he might just bail."

With that, Daisy headed out of the door. She wanted to get a front row seat for all of the fun for tonight. Both the planned festivities and the unplanned.

~01~

Back at Jebb's, he was waiting for Kira to walk downstairs. Not because she was taking too long to dress. She was busy trying to ensure that the boys, especially Jay, would sleep the whole time they were gone so that the teen girl that Daisy had recommended to them as a babysitter wouldn't have too hard of a night. She was nursing to help put them to sleep. Even so, Jebb wished that she'd hurry. He wanted to get to the masque before Luke got there with his date. Not to mention before the captain showed up.

Jebb once again fidgeted with his own costume that Kira had picked out for him. He was supposed to be the Greek hunter Orion. He still hadn't seen Kira's outfit but he was told that she was supposed to be Artemis. He knew that she made a comment that she was tempted to show off the fact that she'd lost nearly all of her pregnancy weight. How she did it, Jebb didn't know. But he was glad that the weight that still clung to her were in the more desirable areas. When he looked up to see his wife coming down the stairs, he had to admit that she succeeded in showing off her figure. And he wasn't all that sure that he wanted her to.

"Wow. Are you sure you want to wear that in public?"

"I could have gone with my other choice," Kira paused as she spun around. "I was considering going as a belly dancer. I could have even done a few dances that I learned in college. I took belly dancing as an elective once."

"They teach that in college?"

"You'd be surprised what kind of useless classes you can take to earn credits."

"How come you never told me that?"

"I have to have a few secrets, don't I? Of course I know a few other dances, too. But I didn't learn them in a class." Kira said with a bit of a mischievous grin.

"Oh?" Jebb slipped an arm around his wife. "And where did you learn the other dances?"

"From a client I defended when I was working in Atlanta. Sparkles swore that I'd be grateful to her for showing me how to dance one day."

"Sparkles? Do I get a preview of that dance later on?"

"Maybe." Kira winked at Jebb as they walked out of the door. "If you're good."

~01~

Jo had driven to the neighboring county and found a bridal shop and rented a bridesmaid dress for the evening. The costume may be a bit cliché, but it was the best that she could do at the last minute. After doing her hair, she finished her make-up. Paying extra close attention to her right side of her face especially to conceal the scars that revealed where she had been hit by shrapnel in the bombing at the embassy. She then grabbed her clear shoes and made her way out to the street level.

~01~

Luke and Rebecca Ann both arrived at the town square and took in the transformation that the Ladies' League had been able to accomplish with the help of some of the men in town. Japanese lanterns were hung and strings of lights were strewn all around. Originally, the dance was supposed to be held at the Boar's Nest but so many tickets were sold that it was moved to the town square to allow more party goers to attend.

All around Luke, he saw people in costumes of nearly every kind. If you could imagine it, you could find it. Across the way, Luke could see Cooter dressed as a knight in shining armor. He was dancing with a woman wearing a damsel in distress outfit.

Luke asked Rebecca Ann to dance when the music started. He heard so many people comment on his and Rebecca Ann's costumes. He even heard someone say something about how it would be nice if the Duke Boy could find his own princess for a happily ever after. In fact, he'd noticed more people had made similar comments like that over the last year or so. And here he thought that after Jebb settled down and started a family that it would take the heat off of him to do the same.

Instead, it seemed that people expected even more out of him now. Now that one Duke Boy has settled down, the rest were supposed to follow suit, too. Luke dodged some of the comments with his usual flare and had even started to enjoy the evening despite the comments and the costume since it seemed that nearly every man in Hazzard was in the same boat as him.

After he and Rebecca had been dancing for about an hour, Luke noticed that some of the men had started to congregate near the bandstand. Straining his eyes in the dim light, Luke tried to see what was going on. Finally, enough of the men moved aside so he could get a glimpse of the blonde angel wearing a powder blue ball gown at the center of the circle of men. When she looked up, Luke locked eyes with her, then watched as a slow smile crossed her face.

* * *

******A/Note******

**To answer any questions about WHY I chose to set this story up like I have, well look at who we are dealing with. Luke Duke might have been a ladies' man, but he guarded his heart with a vengeance. For love to have taken root, I think that it would have needed to sneak up on him. Having a long distance relationship for so long proves that while he might have started off in lust as Bo tends to do so often, it grew while he was unable to take action on that lust. **

**This is just my interpretation on just how the more reserved Duke Boy might have been able to find something more than a frivolous relationship; something with the potential to be more. Providing that he isn't too stubborn to take a chance and listen to his heart.**


	5. A Dashing, Debonair Prince

******Chapter 5: A Dashing, Debonair Prince**

Jo slipped on her clear, three inch heeled, shoes and headed on down to the masquerade party down in the square. It didn't take long for her to attract the attention from some of the local men. Something that she'd long ago gotten used to. That was probably why the general had always been so protective of her when she was younger. He'd worked overtime to keep tabs on her so that none of the young, handsome Marines who were always around her would step out of line. Maybe a small part of her had always enjoyed the attention that came her way, though most of the time it was just plain annoying.

As she passed the bandstand in the center of the square, Jo scanned the crowd and her silver eyes found the sapphire blue ones of her oldest friend. Seeing the costume that Daisy had made for Luke to wear, a slow smile spread across her face. He looked like he'd stepped straight out of a fairytale book. Just how his cousin had been able to strong arm him into wearing it, she'd never know but Jo enjoyed seeing him in it all the same. Especially since it clung in all of the right places. Was he actually wearing tights under that... well she had to call it a skirt?

Beside Luke she saw Snow White as she noticed that Luke was looking at Jo. Snow White clung just a bit tighter to her Prince Charming as if she was afraid that he would ditch her at any moment. Jo fought the urge to laugh at the insecure woman; knowing that if she was afraid of losing her prince then she'd already lost him.

Jo gave one last smile to her old friend as she was asked to dance, and then she couldn't see him anymore through the crowd.

~01~

"Luke Duke! Are you listening to me?"

"I'm sorry, darlin'. You were sayin'?" Luke turn his eyes back to Rebecca Ann reluctantly after watching Jo disappear into the crowd once more.

"Forget it." Snow White crossed her arms.

She'd been looking forward to this masquerade for weeks. And she'd been trying to get the attention of the oldest Duke Boy for months before that. Ever since she'd moved into the area. Now she was finally in the company of her tall, dark and handsome prince but he was acting so distant. Certainly not the kind of date that she was expecting for the night. In fact, she was surprised that the Duke hadn't suggested that they leave for a more private location already. A suggestion that she'd agree to whole heartedly.

She wanted to know firsthand if only half of what she'd heard about Luke was true. If he'd earned the reputation that he had then she'd be more than satisfied. Of course, it was starting to look like her Prince Charming was eying Cinderella across the way. And he wasn't the only one. It seemed that most of the single men in town were vying for her attention.

Looking at the woman, Rebecca Ann wished that she would just turn into a pumpkin already.

~01~

Daisy and Darcy were dancing near where Luke and his date were at. Daisy could practically see Rebecca Ann seething as she realized that she didn't have her date's full attention.

"Snow White looks like she just choked on her apple. I think that she'd better cut her losses. Luke's a bit distracted tonight. I ain't never seen him look at a woman like he's been looking at the captain tonight."

"I think that most of the men in town are looking at her, except for me, Sweetheart. A man would have to be out of his mind to be out with you and still look at another woman." Daisy smiled at the flattery Darcy sent her way. "You said that Luke claims that there ain't nothing between them two, though?"

"That's what he says. And, considering that those two have been on separate continents for most of the last decade, I think that he may be telling the truth. For now. It would have been hard to really go very far by mail. But ... now they are with in arms reach of one another."

"I know that gleam in your eye, Daisy. You ain't plannin' on givin' those two any help are you?"

"Only if it starts to look like they need it." Daisy grinned at her date. Something told her that Luke was already in love. Why else would Luke stay in contact with a woman for so long where the only thing that he'd gotten in return are letters? He just didn't know it yet.

~01~

"Hi, care to dance?"

Jo looked up to find yet another man in front of her. This one had brown hair and was dressed as a cowboy. Her feet were beginning to hurt but one more dance wouldn't kill her. She did notice that one of Luke's cousins (was that one Bo or Jebb?) did a double-take when he saw her dance by with her latest dance partner. Jo wondered just what that was all about but ignored it.

"So, Gorgeous, have you got a name or should I just call you Cindy?"

Jo rolled her eyes but answered him anyway, "You can call me Jo. And you are?"

Before the man answered her, he tightened a hand on her waist. "My name's Ernie. What do ya say we get out of here, Jo? I know of nice quiet place where we can talk."

Ernie, huh? No wonder Bo had given her a strange look when she accepted a dance with Luke's oldest rival. He was quite full of himself wasn't he?

"I don't think so, Ernie."

"What's wrong, ain't I good enough for you?" Ernie scowled.

"As a matter of fact..." Jo released her hold on Ernie to signal that the dance was over but Ernie tightened his own hold in response. "I've made it a common practice not to keep company guys who are much bigger men in their own fantasy world than in reality. Now if you don't mind, release me."

"But, Gorgeous, you ain't given me a chance to show you just how big of a man I really am. I think we ought to find that quiet place now."

~01~

Across the street, Luke had finally caught another glimpse of Jo after he'd long since lost sight of her. Unfortunately, he saw that she was dancing with Ernie Leadbetter. He and Ernie have had a standing rivalry since they had first started grade school together.

"Luke, don't you think that would be fun?" Rebecca Ann looked up at her date as they danced to the slow country song. If she could get Luke alone, then maybe she could still salvage part of this date.

"Huh, uh, sure," Luke agreed, having no idea just what Rebecca Ann had been saying.

Rebecca Ann smiled in satisfaction as she was able to convince the Duke Boy that they should head on out for the night. She knew that she'd have better luck in turning the date around once she got him alone.

Luke narrowed his eyes when he saw that Jo was trying to end the dance with Ernie only to see him pull her closer to him. He could tell that she was saying something to him but with him being all of the way across the street, Luke could only go by body language to know what was being said. Knowing that Ernie had never been shy about bullying women, nor had he ever taken rejection well, Luke started to weave his way past the other party goers in the direction of the argument. Keeping an eye on what was going on, Luke watched as Jo stomped on Ernie's foot and mashed it as she slipped out of his grip.

Luke saw red as he got closer to where the two were arguing. Especially as he saw Ernie straighten and went to grab Jo again. By now, Luke was in striking distance of his rival. Taking a flying leap, Luke tackled Ernie and the two rolled as each tried to end up on top. Luke had the upper hand, however, since he'd taken the other man off guard. After pinning Ernie, Luke raised his arm back in preparation of slugging him when he was stopped short as he heard Jo holler at him.

"Stand down, Sergeant!" Jo used her most authoritative voice as she spoke. The last thing she wanted was for Luke to get arrested because of her. Coming to Hazzard was supposed to be fun. Somehow, seeing Luke locked up for fighting because of her would just drain every ounce of fun out of the visit.

Luke froze still poised above Ernie for two reasons. One, Jo had never called rank on him before. Two, even though he wasn't in the Marines anymore, certain responses had been drilled into him. And what Jo had just done was issue a direct order.

"Alright! Freeze! I got you now, Luke Duke. Tsk, tsk. Fighting at a charity event. Shame-shame, Luke. On your feet. It's time to cuff ya and stuff ya."

"Sheriff, it was not the sergeant's fault. He was merely trying to defend me from Mr. Leadbetter. It appears that he doesn't take rejection very well."

Ernie looked up at Cinderella standing over him and Luke with her hands on her hips, staring down Rosco. How did she know his last name?

Rosco meanwhile eyed the young woman. This wouldn't be the first time that a woman tried to lesson the punishment of a Duke. But this one didn't call Luke out by his name; she referred to him as Sergeant. No woman in Hazzard ever does that. "And just who are you?"

"Captain Joanna Hart. U.S.M.C."

"You is in see?" Rosco repeated as he tried to remember where he'd heard that before.

"United States Marine Corps, Sheriff. I was invited for a visit here in Hazzard. Now as I was saying, the sergeant was merely acting on my behalf. And as you can see, he has yet to actually strike Leadbetter. Therefore, you have no cause to arrest him."

"Tiddly-tuddly. Of course I have cause. He's a Duke. Besides, you wouldn't be the first woman to try to help one out by fudging the circumstances of a fight. Now get up, Luke." Rosco giggled as he got ready to slap the cuffs on the oldest Duke Boy.

"She's right, Rosco. I saw the whole thing. She was trying to walk away and Ernie wouldn't let her." Kira walked up, hoping that she could help keep her cousin out of spending the night in the local Iron Bar Hotel. Fortunately, Rosco had a soft spot for her. "In fact, Ernie had raised_ his_ hand to get ready to hit the captain, herself, when Luke stopped him."

"Ernie hit this woman?" Rosco looked to the other man that was involved in the altercation. He didn't hold with violence towards women. Under any circumstances.

"Well, no. Like I said, Luke stopped him. But he was clearly acting in defense of another in this case. Plus, as the captain pointed out, Luke never actually hit Ernie. I'm pretty sure that if you decided to haul Luke in, his lawyer could have a field day with the facts."

Luke smirked seeing as how everyone in Hazzard knew that she was his, as well as all of the Dukes', lawyer.

Rosco gave Kira a look as he tried to decide what he should do from here. He'd been so ready to throw the Duke in jail.

"Alright, Leadbetter, you know the drill. Up you go." Rosco led the cowboy away toward the jail. He'll at least get to lock someone up tonight.

Once Rosco was gone, Luke muttered a thanks to Kira who nodded and slipped back into the crowd to find Jebb again. She knew that, like her, Luke wasn't one to have people standing around gawking at his private life.

"Are you alright, Angel?" Luke asked Jo as he searched for any marks that Ernie might have left behind. As it was, he saw where a bruise was forming where he'd grabbed her wrist.

"Of course I am," Jo snickered. "How could I not be with a dashing, debonair prince rushing to my rescue?" Luke looked down as he remembered just what he was wearing. "How did Daisy get you to wear that outfit? It looks like it was taken straight out of a fairy tale book."

"Close. Daisy had Kira find her information on_ authentic_ 16th century clothing for Lords and Royalty. Just my luck, Kira's a history buff and Daisy has a wicked sense of humor. A deadly combination."

"Well that explains where she got it, but not how she got you to wear it. Complete with the skirt and hosen and all. Though I must say, you've got the legs for it." Jo took in the outfit and began to quietly laugh to herself.

"It was either wear this for one night or walk around in starched shorts for a couple of weeks," Luke scowled at Jo as she poked fun at his outfit.

"She's a resourceful little cuss. Isn't she?" Jo laughed out loud at the thought of Luke having to suffer the fate of an irate cousin who does his laundry.

"You have no idea, Jo. Well seeing as that I'm here now, you didn't happen to save one dance for me did you?"

"I think that I could survive one more. Especially since this isn't exactly the type of crowd that would sneak in a waltz among the country music." The two ex-Marines then began to dance to the _Desperado_ in a comfortable silence. Towards the end of the song, Jo lost her balance only to be caught by Luke. "Damn."

"What's wrong?" Jo balanced on one foot as she slipped the shoe off that she'd used to stomp Ernie with to reveal that the heel had come off. Realizing what had happened, Luke had to start laughing. "Now I know that Cinderella is supposed to lose a shoe by the end of the night, but I don't remember nothin' about a broken heel in the story."

"Cute, Lukas. You read Cinderella?"

"No, but I was forced to hear my Aunt Lavinia read it to Daisy often enough to know the basic story."

"Nice to know that you're so well read, Lukas." Switching her balance to her other foot while keeping a hand on Luke to keep from falling over, Jo slipped her other shoe off. Losing the extra height that the shoes gave her, she was back to barely coming up to Luke's shoulders.

"Well I have been known to read a few books and magazines from time to time, you know."

"Yeh, and I'm pretty sure that those magazines weren't _The National Geographic,_ either." Jo smirked as she lightly back handed Luke's chest. "I guess that I'd better head back to the hotel. I can't just walk around here on the street barefooted."

"I'll walk ya over." Luke started to head over to the hotel with his hand resting possessively at Jo's lower back. When they slipped away from the crowd and were in front of the hotel, Jo paused before heading in.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Lukas?"

"Like what?"

"Your date." Jo laughed since it was obvious that Luke had forgotten all about Rebecca Ann. "She's probably ready to spit nails by now."

"Probably. You sure you want to call it a night?"

"I'm sure. Go on. Your cousins will nail your hide to the wall if they can't find you when it's time for the costumes to be judged."

"I guess you're right," Luke said reluctantly as he thought about the possibility having to stand up on a stage in this get up.

"Good night, Lukas." Jo reached up to give Luke a kiss on the jaw.

When she stepped back, Luke pulled her back to him and bent his head down and found Jo's lips with his own. In that kiss, he poured the wanting that had been building up for more than a decade. Luke found the experience of kissing the woman who for so long had been off limits to him intoxicating. But the way he figured it, she wasn't off limits anymore. He wasn't an enlisted Marine and she was no longer an officer. Nor were they thousands of miles apart anymore.

If Luke had been a good kisser when he was only a Boot in the Marines, Jo figured that he qualified for being an expert at it now. Jo raised her arms to wrap them around Luke's neck, subconsciously pressing herself up against Luke as she tangled her fingers in his hair. She liked his hair a little bit longer than when he'd been in the Marines. Jo was certain that if Luke hadn't been holding her up, her knees would have given away. Jo felt her heart race and she felt flushed and light-headed. She'd only felt like this one time before in her life just because someone was kissing her and both of those times it had been Luke Duke who had been the man she'd been kissing.

Pulling back, he gave Jo one last nip one her lips. "G'night, Angel. See ya tomorrow."

With that Luke turned to head back to the square and the Masquerade party. Leaving Jo to try to catch her breath before picking her shoes up where she'd dropped them when Luke kissed her. Only once Luke was out of sight did she turn and head into the hotel.


	6. Setting off Sparks

**Chapter 6: Setting off Sparks**

The next day as the family got ready for church, Bo was having fun filling in his uncle on the scene with Ernie from the night before.

"I'm tellin' you, Uncle Jesse. I don't think that I've ever seen Luke stop so fast, even for you. Jo hollered at him and he just froze." Bo chuckled as he thought of his older cousin's reaction to the woman who up until this weekend the family thought was nothing but another old Marine pal. "Though if Kira hadn't been there, I think Luke would have still ended up in jail for the night even though Jo tried to tell Rosco that it had all been Ernie's fault. You should have seen Rebecca Ann's face right then, too. I don't think that she enjoyed being replaced in the middle of the night."

"I don't think that any woman would have liked that, Bo. But I guess that just shows everyone what Luke really thinks of the capt'n. Even if he won't admit it just yet. Speakin' of which, you'd better hurry up and help him with them mornin' chores." Jesse chuckled a bit as he headed into the kitchen to help Daisy with breakfast.

Luke had already gone on out to start on the chores which is why Bo had been able to speak so candid about the previous night's goins ons. What he didn't tell his uncle was that once he'd gotten home from his own date with Sheree Beth, he'd hounded Luke until he finally confessed that when he'd walked Jo back to the hotel, that he did kiss her goodnight.

Something told Bo that nearly every woman in Hazzard would be eying Luke and Jo until she left Hazzard. Because until she did there wouldn't be much of a chance for the rest of them to go out with Luke again. Bo smiled to himself; he reckoned that would just put him in a bit higher of a demand for a while. The only Duke Boy in town totally unattached in any way.

~01~

On the drive home from Sunday morning service, Luke was dodging questions from his uncle about why he hadn't invited Jo to church this morning. Truth was, he hadn't thought about it, though he could imagine the way the town would have reacted to him sitting with a woman that he wasn't related to in church.

As they were nearing the outskirts of town, Luke's eyes danged near bugged out when he saw Jo running on the side of the road. She was wearing running shorts that could rival Daisy's shortest shorts, a pair of running shoes and a jogging bra and that was it. As the car neared the woman, he pulled the car up to a stop; Bo smirking at him the whole time.

Jo came to a rest as she noticed the orange stock car pulling up beside her. "You need a ride somewhere, Jo?" Luke asked as Jo squatted down beside the car and rested her arms on the window sill. Looking in the car, she saw where Daisy and Jesse were in the back seat while Bo and Luke were upfront, with Luke behind the wheel.

"Nah, I wasn't planning on heading back to town for about another five miles, yet."

"Now why in the world would you be out runnin' for no reason like this?" Bo asked.

"Who said it was for no reason? I'm trying to get in shape for the marathon in New York in November."

"What shape are you goin' for, Jo? You just got out of the Marines. Seems to me that your shape is just fine." Luke eyed Jo and saw where she'd worked up a sweat running already. She was covered in a fine sheen of it.

"The marathon is over twenty-six miles long. Unless I keep myself from going soft in civilian life, unlike another former Marine who shall remain nameless, I'll never make it." Jo grinned over at Luke as she kidded him. Especially since she wouldn't really consider Luke a slacker or out of shape now that he was out of the Marines, too. But that didn't mean that she couldn't pick on him a bit.

Jesse watched as his nephew ogled the young woman. "Well how about you come on out to the farm for lunch, Captain? I'm sure that you've worked up an appetite running around."

"No thanks, Mr. Duke. I've still got a ways to go. Besides, I can't think about eating too much right after such a long run anyway."

Luke saw his uncle was about to continue to ask her out to the house for later so he figured he better beat him to the punch. "Well how about I swing by later and take ya out to the diner, instead?" Luke asked as he ignored the other Dukes in the car.

"Sounds like fun. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd better keep moving. Later." With that, Jo took off down the road and Luke started the car to take it on home. As he pulled out, he continued to watch Jo in the rear view mirror until his uncle spoke up from the back seat.

"You'll see that girl again in a few hours. Keep your mind on the road in front of you."

Luke looked back up and realized that he was a little left to center and corrected the car. "Yes sir."

Bo started to snicker at his cousin since he'd rarely reacted to any one woman the way he had to his _old friend_. Figuring that he might want to change the subject before he started getting an earful from the rest of the Dukes in the car, Luke zeroed in on a subject totally away from him and Jo.

"Uncle Jesse, who was that woman that was sitting with Doc Appleby in service today? I didn't recognize her."

"That was his niece. Ya'll remember Kimberly, don't ya?"

"That was Kimberly Appleby?" Daisy asked.

"Couldn't be. She was too pretty to be Kim."

"Bo Duke! What a horrible thing to say," Daisy said just a bit offended on behalf of the other woman as she smacked the back of her cousin's head.

"It's true. In high school, there were coyotes prettier than her."

"Well, it's still horrible to say it, Bo. She couldn't help it if she was a bit plain to look at. Uncle Jesse, where has she been? She ain't been around these parts since she graduated high school; the same year that Bo did."

"Doc says that she went off to medical school, got herself a degree. Then she joined some group that takes doctors overseas to areas that don't have none. Been working with the group ever since. Been gettin' her experience in areas where the folks aren't as picky about just how long she'd been out of medical school."

"I think I've heard about that group. Don't they tend to go into dangerous areas, Uncle Jesse?" Daisy asked.

"From what I understand," Jesse nodded. "That's one of the reasons why they need doctors in those areas. Doc Appleby told me that there were times that each doctor on the team saw hundreds of people each day. Folks would walk for days to get to where the doctors were at. If that girl wanted experience, I'd say she's got it now. I invited the doc out for supper tonight with his niece."

Jesse paused as he considered the fact that Luke had already made plans for the night. "Luke, I know I didn't tell ya'll about these plans before you talked to Jo so I guess it'll be alright for you to keep your date. What with you not knowin' about the dinner and the fact that the capt'n won't be in town long. Just don't stay out too late. You understand me, boy?"

"Yes sir, Uncle Jesse."

Glad that he wouldn't have to change his plans for the evening. Sundays were usually off limits for dates, but as Jesse said, Jo wouldn't be in town long. A thought that suddenly didn't sit too well with Luke.

~01~

Bo was sitting at the table totally annoyed. Now he remembered another reason why he'd never paid much attention to Kim when they were in school. She was probably one of the only girls that he'd ever known who wasn't charmed by him in some way. In fact, to Bo, it seemed that she was avoiding him. Never once did she direct anything that she said directly to him.

Bo admitted that some of the stories that she had were interesting enough, but he couldn't wait to get the class bookworm off of the farm. He hated to admit it, but she made him feel dumb. Here they'd graduated at the same time and she'd gone off to college and then went out into the world. Saw so many things that he wouldn't even read about. Of course he supposed that his own sister should make him feel that way, too. After all they were twins and had lived such different lives; but somehow, he never got this feeling around her. Even when she picked at him. But Kimberly?

_When is this night going to be over with?_ Bo wondered to himself.

He'd be willing to bet a week's worth of extra chores that Luke was having a heck of a lot better time than he was being stuck in the same room with a woman that couldn't care less if he'd started choking right there in the kitchen.

~01~

Luke and Jo had decided to go for a ride in the General Lee after eating dinner at the diner. Luke had written so much about the car that Jo couldn't wait to sit in the car after so long. Riding around in the stock car, Jo couldn't believe just how reckless Luke appeared even though she knew that he knew just how wild he could drive and still be safe.

Luke had even treated her with her very first jump when Rosco tried to catch him to give him a ticket for going thirty-five and a half miles an hour in a thirty-five mile an hour zone. Luke then took her to show her various parts of the countryside that he written to her about in his letters over the years. For Jo, it was nice to finally place an image with some of the stories.

When they were out on the edge of the county, a sudden summer storm popped up so Luke shot the General towards one of the old still sites nearby that had a lean-to large enough to shelter the two from the rain pouring into the car through the open windows.

"You can bet as soon as this storm passes, it's goin' to be so humid that you'll think you're back in 'Nam, Jo. At least we were near this old still site. It would have been a wet ride back into Hazzard."

"How long do you think it will be before the storm passes?" To punctuate the question, lightning bolt struck nearby. "How long will we have to hide out from the rain?"

"An hour, give or take." Luke had to hide a smile since he knew from the past when they were in Japan that she wasn't all that fond of storms. "Jo, there's something that I wanted to talk to you about."

"What about?" Jo fought a flinch as a thunderclap sounded overhead, trying her best to ignore an old childhood fear.

"Last night. I wanted to-"

"Lukas, you don't need to explain. I know that we both just got carried awa-" Jo was cut off when Luke turned sideways in the seat and pulled her to him and gave her a kiss just as passionate as the one he'd given her the night before.

He didn't really want to ignore the spark that was between them anymore. And right now there were enough sparks to set the night on fire. Before she knew what she was doing, Jo responded to Luke's advances. As he leaned forward over her, she leaned back against the car door, pulling Luke with her. The whole time trying to tell herself that making out with her old friend was a bad idea.

Jo knew all too well that Luke was not the kind of man who was looking for a relationship, nor was she the kind of woman that jumped into frivolous liaisons on a casual basis. She didn't want to do anything that could put their friendship in jeopardy but she felt that it was already too late for that. She'll just enjoy the moment for what it was for now and deal with the fall out later. At the moment, thinking was getting pretty hard to do anyway. Especially as she felt a hand slid under her tank top, gliding across her skin, leaving trails of fire in its wake. Soon, neither of the two even heard the storm that was raging around them.

Jo and Luke continued their heavy petting session until after the storm passed. As soon as the rain slowed down, they headed back to town, and to Jo's hotel room. Luke used his key to the garage to park the General inside, out of the rain, and then the two ran on down the street towards the hotel getting soaked in the process.

When they made it up the stairs to the room that Jo had rented for a few days, the two former Marines began to pick up where they'd left off while hunkering down in the car waiting for the storm to pass. As soon as the key was turned to allow them into the room, clothes began to be peeled off in a lust-filled hurry.

~01~

Bo gave Daisy a cross look when she told their brunette guest that they should get together again real soon as Kimberly and Doc Appleby got ready to leave. Bo just knew that he wouldn't be able to survive another evening like the one he'd just endured.

Kimberly Appleby was nothing like the other women in Hazzard. Never had been. She'd never seemed to be impressed by the Duke reputation. Even in high school, though Bo had always chalked that up to the fact that she wasn't the type to attract any attention from any of the Duke Boys when they were all growing up. Tonight, it had almost been like Kim had looked right through Bo. Something that he just wasn't used to. No woman ever ignored him quite like that, not even Jill.

Looking over at Luke's empty bed, he wondered if he should wait up for him tonight. He was bound to come in fairly late but Bo couldn't wait to pester his cousin for all of the details of his date with Jo. Unfortunately, Luke wasn't home yet when he finally decided to go on to sleep. One thing that he did know, if Luke didn't want to see their uncle turn into a grizzly bear, he'd better get on home soon.

~01~

Looking at Jo as she drifted off, her head resting on his bicep, Luke knew that he ought to head on home. It was something that he shouldn't even have to think about. It was always understood that no matter what, he and Bo were to always be home by the time morning chores came around.

Looking at the clock, Luke figured that it wouldn't hurt to stay for a little while longer. He'd hate to leave and have Jo wake up alone. She deserved more than that. When he left, it will be with the promise to be back; not sneaking out like tonight hadn't meant something. Because it did. As much as it scared him, tonight hadn't been like any of the other times when he'd bedded a woman. This time, something felt different. This would be no one night stand.

~01~

The next morning, Jesse was getting ready for the day and was surprised that he hadn't heard any movement from the boys' room. Ordinarily, Luke would already be awake and Jesse would hear him trying to coax Bo into waking up for the morning chores. He guessed that staying out until all hours of the night and getting up at a decent hour are at odds with one another. Well, sleep or no sleep, there were chores to be done. Jesse headed on over to Bo and Luke's room and knocked before opening the door.

"Alright, Boys. Rise and Shine. We've got work to do." Jesse flipped the light on and watched as a sleeping Bo tried to hide from the light by tucking his head under the pillow. "Let's get a move on you two-"

Jesse came up short when he looked over at Luke's unused bed. Still neatly made up from the day before.


	7. Too Much to Hope for

**Chapter 7: Too Much to Hope for**

When Luke began to wake up, the first thing that he noticed was that he wasn't in his own bed. The mattress felt differently. The second thing that he noticed was the warm body that was pressed flush up against him. Opening his eyes, he looked down and saw Jo still asleep with her arm resting across his stomach.

Moving her hair away from her face, Luke grinned when Jo groaned as she snuggled closer to him. He let a finger trace the slight scarring that was left behind from the shrapnel that hit her face during the embassy bombing. Up until now, she'd kept most of it hidden with make-up. Unless you knew what to look for, you'd miss it.

Letting his eyes roam the room, Luke caught sight of the alarm clock and noticed the time. Seeing how late it was, Luke cursed under his breath.

"Well good morning to you too," Jo rolled over as she sleepily spoke.

It was then that Luke realized how that sounded. Luke turned on his side and pulled Jo back up against him.

"It's not how ya think. I just realized that everyone out at the farm woke up about an hour ago. I was planning on getting up in time to get back before they all got up." Luke rested a hand on Jo's hip as he put his other arm back under her head.

Jo leaned back into Luke's embrace, still well aware that last night had been a bad idea but she just couldn't bring herself to wish that it hadn't happened. She knew better than to let herself get carried away like that, especially with Luke of all people. You just don't go jumping into bed with a friend, but with Luke's hand resting where it currently was, slowly moving down in front of her, it was more than a little difficult to listen to her head right now.

"I'm kinda surprised that you didn't head home last night."

So was he but he wasn't quite ready to think about the reasons behind his not leaving the previous evening. Not so early in the morning anyway. Especially while Jo was in his arms already responding to him like fire to gasoline.

"If I had left last night, we wouldn't be able to have any fun this morning." Luke's hand finished its small journey and Jo gasped as she arched her back and gave him better access.

"Don't you need to get home?" Jo said before biting her lip to keep from crying out.

"I'm already late as it is. A couple more hours won't make no difference."

Luke grinned as he saw Jo trying to hold back her moans as he doubled his efforts and began to lavish attention to first one breast and then the other. He took it as a personal challenge to see how long it would take him to make her lose control of herself. When he began to move over her, she tried to muffle her screams of passion by biting into his shoulder.

When Jo finally screamed out his name, Luke felt a rush at hearing it. He'd never much cared for his given name but it had always had a different ring to it coming from Jo's lips. Like a term of endearment. Now, it was like music to his ears to hear Jo breathlessly screaming it out as she finally lost all control of herself.

After being almost certain that anyone who happened to be downstairs in lobby had heard Jo crying out, Luke covered her lips with his own in a lust crazed, passionate kiss. Last night, they'd both been in too much of a hurry to be able to remember much of the previous night's activities, but this morning...

Luke intended to make this morning memorable for both of them.

~01~

A couple of hours later, Luke was in the shower and getting cleaned up before going home as Jo finally got her legs back under her after recovering from several jolts of electricity that had wracked through her body at Luke's expert hands. She went over to stare out of the window dressed in the oversized t-shirt that she usually slept in since getting out of the Marines. She was trying not to think too much about what had just happened between her and Luke but nothing else seemed to come to mind. She was on the verge of being angry with herself about it all. She knew that Luke would never knowingly hurt her, but at the same time, he wasn't looking for anything in the way of a real relationship. It just wasn't in him.

She'd already accepted that flaw in him years ago. Back when she finally admitted to herself that she not only loved but was in love with him; flaws and all. The major one being that Luke Duke was a man that could not settle down with just one woman.

Glancing toward the bathroom door as she heard the water shut off, Jo made up her mind that she wouldn't end up like any of the other women that Luke had slept with over the years. She wouldn't be like any of the clingy women who have tried to pressure him into something that he didn't want. When Luke finally decided that he was tired of the new physical aspect of their relationship, she'd go back to taking whatever she could get, the occasional letter, maybe a phone call here and there. And she'll save the heartbreak for when she was alone.

When Luke stepped out of the bathroom he walked over to Jo and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She leaned back and closed her eyes.

"I doubt that I'll be able to come back to town tonight once Uncle Jesse gets finished with me. He's probably got a string of extra chores ready for me just as soon as I get home. How about you come out to the farm for dinner instead?"

"Extra chores, huh? Is that the penalty for going AWOL here in Hazzard?"

Luke chuckled at the comparison. "If it was ten years ago, I would be fearin' a tanned hide. Jesse hasn't taken a switch to any of us since Bo graduated from high school, though; despite threatening to do so on a regular basis. But that just made him get more creative with our punishments anytime he thought we were steppin' out of line. He still thinks of us all as children at times."

Jo laughed softly as she thought about the Duke patriarch and how he could probably give the general a run for his money when it comes to getting discipline from his troops.

"So, you'll come out tonight?" Jo nodded as she turned to face Luke, fingering his still damp hair from the shower. "Good. Then maybe we can go out again by Friday. There's a new movie coming out this weekend-"

Jo groaned, "I can't. I have to be up in Fort Fumble on Friday. I'm supposed to be leaving out on Wednesday."

"Why do you have to go to D.C.?"

"The general wants to see me. Most likely wanting a _status report_ on my_ floundering _since being discharged," Jo muttered.

"You ain't been out of the Marines all that long. How are you supposed to go jumping into civilian life just like that? Especially since you have never really been one before."

"It's been long enough for the general, I'm sure."

"Will ya come back to Hazzard afterwards?" Luke slid his hands down her back, pulling Jo up against him, reveling in the full frontal contact. His hands reached the hem of the shirt allowing him to enjoy the feel of bare skin beneath his hands as it hiked up from where her arms were wrapped around his neck.

"I guess that depends on if I'm invited back." Jo grinned up at Luke, hiding her uncertainty of whether or not he'd actually want her to come back to his home town. After all, he wasn't the one who had invited her to town in the first place.

"Then you're comin' back. I want ya to." Luke bent his head down to kiss Jo tenderly. "I'd better get goin'. Otherwise, Jesse just might send out a search party for me. I'll see ya this evenin'."

With that, Luke headed on out the door and down the stairs ignoring the looks from Jason behind the front desk as he walked by.

As he drove home alone, he thought about his relationship with Jo. Luke felt a large smile on his face as he remembered the way she'd responded to him. The smile faltered a bit, though, as he tried to figure out just how last night might change things between them. He'd never felt the same way for another woman as he has about Jo for the last several years. He'd told her things over the years that he'd not told any other woman before. Shoot, he'd told her things that he hadn't even told his family.

Somehow it had always been easier to put certain things on paper instead of saying them face to face. Now that he and Jo not only had a face to face relationship, but they had a physical one as well, Luke wondered if he'd be able to say the things that he knows that he ought to.

Shaking his head, he figured that he'd worry about that later. A good thing about Jo, she wasn't the type to push. She'll let him get his feet under him while he tries to sort things out. One thing that he did know, though, he wanted her to stay in Hazzard. From there, they'd be able to see just where they were going to go.

When Luke pulled the General Lee up into the farmyard, he saw that Bo was up on the roof, most likely patching up a new set of leaks that sprung up overnight during last night's storm. It seemed that every time it rained as hard as it had during the summer shower that had popped up the day before, new leaks showed up. When he turned the car off, he saw his uncle coming out of the house as he slipped out of the window.

"Well, look who finally decided to join the rest of us. I hope that the business of running a farm isn't cuttin' into your social life too much."

"Uncle Jesse, I-"

"Get in the house. Now." Jesse crossed his arms as he waited for his nephew to make his way past him. Once Luke was inside, Jesse pointed a finger up to Bo who was making his way over to the ladder up on the roof. "You stay up there until you're done. I want that roof patched. I've gotta have at least one boy of mine to put in a decent day's worth of work."

"Yes sir," Bo said as he moved back over to the area that he'd been working at as he exchanged a look with Daisy who was putting out some laundry on the line to dry. Inside, Luke went over to get a cup of coffee for his breakfast as his uncle came in behind him.

"Would you mind tellin' me just what you thought you were doin' stayin' out all night? And on the Lord's Day to boot. I told you not to stay out too late last night. So I guess you figured that it wouldn't be considered late if you just came home in the mornin' instead," Jesse started as he got his dander up.

"I hadn't planned on stayin' out all night, Uncle Jesse. After gettin' stuck out in the rain, things just happened."

"Things just happened, huh? Is that all you have to say for yourself?"

Luke took a sip of his coffee. He'd let his uncle run out of steam. After all, he was a grown man, with no real need to explain himself. Not much of one at least.

"So you are just that casual about it are ya? Like there weren't enough women around here willin' to be with you for the night, you had to go and ruin probably the only decent relationship with a woman that you've ever had. You just couldn't keep it in your pants, could ya?"

"I'll apologize for missing mornin' chores, but I ain't goin' to say that I regret the way things worked out last night." Or this morning either. But his uncle didn't need to hear that detail.

"You'll have to apologize to Bo for the chores. He's the one who had to do your share of them this mornin' while you were out lolly-gaggin' around. As far as last night, I hope you enjoyed yourself 'cause you won't be goin' out again for a while-"

"I wasn't plannin' on goin' out. In fact, I asked Jo to come here for dinner tonight instead."

That brought Jesse up short. Luke hadn't asked a woman to eat dinner with the family here at the farm since he'd gotten out of the Marines. He'd meet them at the diner, the Boar's Nest, the pond for a picnic; go over to the girl's place if she lived alone, but he never brought them here to the farm. Both Daisy and Bo had brought dates home before, but Luke had always seemed a bit put off about bringing anyone home to eat with the family. Could it be that Luke really wanted to move forward with this relationship instead of running away from it? It was almost too much for Jesse to hope for.

"There's a lot of work that needs to be done. Go and get some work clothes on. Then you can go check to see what all kind of damage there is out on the fence line from last night's ruckus. I'm sure that there will be plenty out there to keep you busy." Jesse turned to head into the living room before adding, "But if you ever pull something like this again, I'll tan your hide seven ways to Sunday. You hear me?"

"Yes sir." Luke headed on upstairs to get a fresh set of clothes for the day. Just as he'd finished getting dressed, Bo came into their room ready to pry every detail from his night out from his cousin. "What do you want?"

"Aw, come on, Luke. You know what I want. Spill."

"You've heard me talk about women tons of times, Bo."

"Yep, but last night had to have been different. You ain't never not come home before. Sure, both of us have cut it short before, stumbled in just before chores, but never stayed out all night. So?" Bo crossed his arms as he leaned up against the door letting him know that he wasn't budging until after Luke talked to him.

"Bo, there's work that needs to be done and Jesse's already madder than a hornet. Move on out of the way."

"No dice, Cousin. Besides, you've always said that the captain was just a friend. You've been holdin' out on me, Lukas."

Luke breathed out a sigh. "Bo." Luke tried to figure out just how much to tell his cousin. After all, Jo wasn't just another conquest. "All I can say right now is that I care for Jo. Alright?"

Bo eyed his older cousin. It wasn't like him to not at least do a little bragging to him. He and Luke have always shared everything about their dates. Many times using the time to try to call the other out when they were exaggerating. But this time, Luke was being evasive.

"Is she goin' to stay around?" Bo asked.

Bo'd hate to see his cousin crushed by finally allowing a woman take a piece of his heart only to take off without looking back. Like had happened when Amy left. She'd left with a promise to come back but Luke had never seen her again. But the way his cousin was acting right now, he'd say that he had more of his heart invested this time. After all, Luke's known Jo for a long time now.

"She's gotta go see her father this week but she said she'd come back. From there… we'll see."

~01~

As the two men spoke in their room, neither knew that their uncle was right behind the wall listening to their conversation while standing in the bathroom. Those two have never figured out that every word that they said could be heard by anyone in the small bathroom. After all, before the boys were born and plumbing was installed in the old farm house, this room actually used to be a closet attached to the bedroom.

Coming to this room was how Jesse had kept track of many of the goins ons in his nephews' lives when they were growing up. They never could figure out just how he always knew when they had tried to get their stories together once they had been sent to their room after getting in trouble. Other parents might have split them up so that they couldn't get their stories straight but Jesse took full advantage of the thin walls when he needed to.

Listening to his oldest talk about his night out and the woman that he'd spent it with, Jesse hoped that Luke figured everything out for himself before he let the best thing that had ever happened to him slip away. He hoped that his boy used some of them smarts that he always uses to get out of various scraps to get a true grasp of what was really going on between him and the captain.

~01~

That night, Jo was listening to Daisy talk while she was finishing up cooking dinner as the fellas were out taking care of the evening chores.

"You know that Luke ain't never acted the way he does around you, right?"

"How so?" Jo asked taken a bit surprised at Daisy's candid approach.

Daisy grinned over at the blond woman. "For a few reasons. One, he kept the fact that you are a woman a secret."

"That could just mean that he was ashamed of me, Daisy."

"Nah. He was keeping you to himself. Didn't want to share you. Two, he stayed out all night with you. He's never done that before. Not once has he spent the whole night with a woman before." Jo blushed at the mention of their night together. It was embarrassing to have everyone know what she and Luke had done the night before. "And three, Luke asked you here. He ain't never asked a woman here to the farm before. That means more than you think, sugar. So, how serious are you about him?" After all, she felt that it was her duty to watch out for her big cousin. "Are you plannin' on stickin' around?"

Jo eyed Luke's cousin; trying to decide if she could be honest with her. She didn't want anything that she said to Daisy to be used to make Luke do anything that he didn't want to. "I'm as serious about Luke as he is about me, Daisy. As far as staying in Hazzard, I'll stay as long as he wants me to."

That wasn't much of an answer to Daisy. It didn't really tell her anything. Daisy then spent the rest of the evening, along with the rest of the family watching both Luke and Jo as they interacted together. Daisy hoped that Luke wouldn't end up with his heart broke. Jo didn't actually act like any of the women who had begun to gush over her cousin when she'd asked them similar questions about how they felt about Luke. Most of the time, she'd hear how that woman that she was talking to was bound and determine to settle down the oldest Duke Boy. Jo did none of that.

After dinner, Luke took Jo out to sit on the porch swing and the rest of the Dukes kept watch over them from the kitchen window. Luke felt self-conscious as he sat with Jo out front. _You'd think that they would at least turn out the kitchen light so he couldn't see them._

He pulled Jo up closer to him in the hot summer heat. It wasn't quite like sitting in the General during a rainstorm, but it was close enough. Now if he could just get the rest to leave him alone with Jo. It's not like they'd do anything on the porch anyhow.


	8. Time to put Pipe Dreams Aside

**Chapter 8: Time to put Pipe Dreams Aside**

On Friday Jo made her way to her father's office. She'd dressed as professionally as she could, knowing that if her outfit wasn't sharp and crisp he'd dress her down like a new recruit. Thomas Hart had never been able to separate his job from his personal life. He was a general in every aspect of life. He didn't know how to be anything else.

Jo was certain that he was prepared to give orders to his daughter to make sure that she got her life going down the _right_ path again; his chosen path. All of her life Jo had tried to do whatever she felt she could to gain her father's approval. She'd come close to it as a Marine, but it always seemed a hair's breadth away. Now that she was no longer a Marine, she wasn't sure if that approval will ever be in her grasp.

After being allowed into the office that she knew far too well in the heart of the Pentagon, Jo saw her father (a distinguished older man with salt and pepper hair) sitting behind his desk. Jo gave the mandatory salute (she'd been expected to salute the general since before she was in grade school) and took the seat that her father offered her with a nod.

"Jo, I see that you're feeling well. I'm glad you made it." Thomas looked up at his daughter after discreetly watching her come in. The scars that had marred her face had faded a bit and there was no indication of any lasting injury to her torso from the way she had walked in. "I've been concerned about you, Jo. From what I understand, you've just been driving around aimlessly ever since you've gotten state-side."

"I've been using the chance to take in the scenery of the countryside, sir. I've never really gotten a chance to see the real country. Away from the bases that we've been stationed at that is. I figured that a road trip could be a bit of fun," Jo said while wondering how her father knew about her road trip.

"Well, it's time for the fun to come to an end. You have to get your life back on track. Even if you are no longer in the military, there is no reason to lose the discipline that the Marines have always given you. That's why you have an appointment later today with the director over at NIS."

"Say what?"

"That's right. You have an appointment in one hour. When I spoke with the director, he seemed to be thrilled at the chance to bring you aboard. The NIS needs a few good women on the team. It's only been a little over ten years since the first woman became a team member and they need more," the general said with just a bit of pride knowing that not everyone was even given the time of day for an interview.

"But why me? I mean, I'm not-" Jo asked only to be interrupted by her father.

"He was quite impressed with your service record when he read through your jacket. And once you are on the team, you'll be stationed right here in D.C. It'll be just like being back in the Marines, Jo. You'll likely even move up the ladder fairly quickly. And I'll be able to see my little girl anytime I want. So what do you say?"

"I...uh...Well...It's certainly not something that I was expecting when I came to see you. I was actually starting to make some plans of my own."

"Like what?"

"Well, Steph mentioned trying to get an art show together and I've been visiting old friends and I'm planning to go back to Geo-"

"Art? Are you still playing around with that useless junk? I thought you gave up on those pipe dream years ago. You're a grown woman; you need to be more responsible, Jo. Those pictures of yours just aren't good enough for a gallery. No. Stick with what you're good at. Now, if you're going to make that appointment, you need to hurry up. Lunch time traffic is a bear. Go on. I have another appointment that I have to get to, myself."

"Yes sir." Jo stood up and left the office.

She should have known that her father would have used his influence to get her a _suitable job_ to his liking. Just as she should have known that he'd quash any attempt to dabble in her paintings. Jo was planning on trying to get a show together at the gallery owned by Stephanie's family up in New York.

If the general had it his way, she never would waste a minute on something as useless as her old favorite hobby. Plus if she got a job here in D.C. how often could she go down to Hazzard? Well, she may not want this job but she had to go through with the interview. If she didn't, she'd never hear the end of it.

~01~

Luke had to laugh at Bo's reaction to Kimberly Appleby's presence in Old Doc Appleby's office. Bo had been out in the fields and had stepped in a gopher hole, causing him to hurt his ankle. Luke had driven Bo to town only to find that the doctor's niece was manning the office today. Luke stayed out in the waiting room figuring that if the woman tended to find reasons to grate on Bo's nerves, he didn't need his cousin back there for her to interpret him as a babysitter.

"Where's the Doc? I thought he'd be here." Just Bo's luck; he hurt himself and he has to deal with the doctor from Hades all in one day.

"He decided to take a few days off. He asked me to cover for him. Now, you want to tell me what happened to cause your ankle to look as bloated as Boss Hogg after an all you can eat buffet?"

"It ain't much. I just turned my ankle, is all."

Kim gave a sidelong look at Bo as she removed his boot and began to examine the injured foot. It's a good thing that it was his left foot. If he'd hurt his driving foot she doubted that he'd be as calm about it. Feeling her way around the ankle, Kim heard Bo breathe in a hiss.

"I hate to tell you this, but I don't think that you've turned your ankle."

"Of course I did. I certainly wouldn't be in here otherwise." Bo looked over at the woman doctor annoyed. _Great, now she thinks that I'm so dumb that I don't know when my own danged foot is hurt._

"As I was going to tell you, Bo. You didn't turn your ankle. You broke it. I'm goin' to have to get a cast made for it."

"You've got to be kidding! All I was doin' was walking through the fields checking on the crops. How could I have broken my ankle doin' that?"

"You were just lucky I guess. I'll get some X-rays but it looks like just a small break. I'll go ahead and get the stuff ready for the cast. I'm afraid we'll have to cut the bottom of your jeans off for it."

"What? No way. You can't cut my jeans."

"Well it's that or you'll have to walk out of here in just your shorts."

"I knew that you just wanted to see me without all of my clothes on." Bo snickered, "Is this the best you could come up with?" The effect of Bo's posturing would have been better had he not been trying to hold in a wince as Kim let his foot drop and hit the exam table that he was sitting on.

"Oh please. You're just as conceited as I remember. You've always been in love with yourself haven't you? And for your information, I've seen cadavers better lookin' than you," Kim snapped back.

"I don't care what your former boyfriends have looked like. Although if they were dating you, they were probably glad that they were dead."

Kim and Bo both began to stare at one another for a couple moments in stubborn silence. Bo wondered just why he and this woman always seemed to end up in shouting matches when they were alone. He remembered that even when they'd been assigned as lab partners in Biology back in school they never could get along.

"You can either let me cut the jeans or you can streak out of here as far as I care. It probably wouldn't be the first time you've gone around the county without any clothes on. That's none of my concern, Bo. I only have to take care of that ankle; your pride is your own concern. If you want, I can ask Luke to go fetch you some sweats if you don't want to ruin a pair of jeans."

Bo considered the suggestion. That seemed like a good compromise. He'd hate to waste a perfectly good pair of jeans. Kim headed out to the waiting room and sent Luke after the sweats for Bo. Waiting for Luke to return with the pants, Kim figured that would give her time to calm down a bit. It was so strange. Nearly no one could get under her skin, but Bo Duke seemed to push every button that she had just by being in the same room as her.

If only he wasn't so conceited, she might could enjoy being around him. As it was though, she had just better limit her exposure to the blond Duke Boy. She had the feeling that being around him for too long at a time would be a lot like being exposed to radiation. You may not notice a change right away, but in no time devastation would soon follow.

~01~

Jo began to walk the mall as she thought about her meeting with the director. She'd asked to be given a few days to think about the job offer. The director admitted when she asked that the reason that she was originally considered was because of General Hart, though he insisted that he was only offering her the job because of her own credentials. Jo wasn't sure what she should do now. The responsible Marine in her was telling her that she should take the job. That there was no good reason to not take it. But then she thought about Luke. Maybe he was a pipe dream, too; just like her artwork and hopes of one day having her work in a gallery.

Looking at her watch, she wondered if there was a chance at catching flight back to Georgia tonight. Probably not. Maybe if she went back to Hazzard she'd be able to make up her mind about the job offer. One way or the other. She'd either be able to admit that pipe dreams don't ever come true and listen to her Marine side or... Who was she kidding? Was there really an or?

Either way, she promised Luke that she'd be back in Hazzard after her meeting and she wanted to go back. Even if it was just for a brief time.

~01~

Kira laughed as she saw Luke bringing her brother's sweats in right after she'd arrived at the doctor's office with the boys. She felt bad that he was hurt but when she'd brought the twins in for a checkup and watched him and the female doctor bicker, she had to sit back and watch. Since Luke was back, Kimberly began to set Bo's ankle now that he was no longer concerned about a ruined pair of pants.

Kira figured that as long as she was here that she might as well as offer to take Bo home since it would be rough getting into the stock car with a cast on. When Bo and Kim came out of the back area still sniping at one another both Kira and Luke stifled some laughs. Kira hadn't seen a woman give her brother such a hard time before. Apparently, neither had Luke. He was still laughing when Kira took the twins back for their checkup and shots. When she and the screaming blond bundles came back out, Bo hobbled over and tried to help soothe the boys.

"What's wrong, buddies? Did that mean lady doctor jab ya with one of her nasty 'ole needles?"

"Careful, Bo. It ain't too late for me to decide that you need a shot to help with the pain from your break. It might even help with your soured disposition." Kim crossed her arms as she leaned up against the door frame to the back area.

Bo looked up at Kim and gave her a dirty look for the threat of giving him a shot. "I'm gone." With that, Bo turned with his crutches and headed on out to the cars.

Luke snickered after his cousin before helping Kira with the boys. He took Mikey from her since he'd rather be seen carrying the young Duke than that over-sized diaper bag that Kira totes around. Carrying that bag around along with two six month olds; to Luke it was no small wonder that Kira had lost her pregnancy weight already. It had to be like hauling sacks of grain around all day. Picking them up and putting them down just a couple of times ain't nothing, but constantly being on the move with them was something altogether different.

Once the boys were both strapped into their car seats, the Dukes all headed back out to the main farm with Kira teasing her brother the whole way. Personally, she couldn't wait to see the next time that Bo and Kim ended up back in the same room together. Having a woman around that wasn't falling all over herself for her brother was good for him. His head had been getting a bit big for his hat band lately. Plus, watching them two go at it was kind of funny. No wonder Daisy had nearly fell over from laughing so hard when she'd filled her in on Sunday night's dinner.

~01~

The next day, the three local Duke Boys were out at the Boar's Nest enjoying some down time after a full day of working out at the farms together. Jebb was watching as Bo used his injured foot as a means to gain more attention from the local women than they usually gave him. He thought that it really was too bad that his cousin didn't have a good story to go along with the cast. But as it was, the ladies were practically falling over themselves oohing and ahhing.

Luke, however, seemed a bit more quiet than usual. Jebb watched as his oldest cousin repeatedly turned down women that would ask him for a dance or had tried to engage in conversation some other way. Needless to say, this was not the Luke Duke that he was used to seeing when they went out. Now he'd never was quite as loud and proud as Bo, but he had never been the kind to refuse the attention of a beautiful woman that was interested in him either.

"Luke, is something wrong?" Jebb asked his oldest cousin after Bo was coaxed over to a nearby table by the Johnson twins.

"What makes you ask that?" Luke sipped his beer as he watched the room in the way that every Duke had gotten used to years ago. He was waiting and watching for trouble.

"It's just that Molly was the sixth woman that you've turned away. That ain't like you."

"I just ain't interested, is all." Jebb got a strange look on his face before trying to hide it by sipping on his own beer. "What is that look for?"

"What look?" Jebb did his best to school his face.

"That one, the one that says that you think you know somethin'. If you've got somethin' to say, just say it," Luke practically spat out in irritation.

"Well, it's just, is there a particular reason why you ain't interested in all of these women, Luke? Like maybe a blonde ex-Marine who isn't even here but is keepin' ya out on the sidelines all the same."

"You think that you're so smart, don't ya?" Luke gave his younger cousin a hard look.

"Depends, what would you say if I told ya that she just walked in?" Luke spun around in his seat looking for Jo. "That's what I thought." Jebb started laughing which caused Luke to look back at his cousin and he gave him a dirty look for tricking him.

"That wasn't funny, Jebb."

"Maybe not, but telling," Jebb smirked. "I think that you're in trouble. Don't worry though; gettin' caught ain't all that bad."

"Who said anything about gettin' caught, Jebb?" Luke didn't like the fact that Jebb thought he knew so much about him and Jo. He'd like to wipe that superior look off of his face. There he was sitting like he had all of the answers.

"No one had to say it, Cuz. It's written all over your face."

"Is that so? And just what does it say exactly?"

"That you're in deeper than you want to admit. Remember, I've already been there, Cuz. You're in uncharted waters, Luke. You're goin' to have to decide if you want to head back toward the harbor where it's safe or not. I think that you're afraid of gettin' shipwrecked," Jebb said leaning back in his seat grinning.

"Just because you're married doesn't mean that you're the reigning expert on relationships, Jebb."

"Nope, not an expert, just a bit more experienced than you in this area." Jebb looked back up at the doorway and smiled. "I tell ya what; I'll make sure that Bo gets home after you leave. I'll catch ya later. Just remember that you don't want to push your luck with Uncle Jesse again so fast. Make sure that you're home before chores." With that, Jebb stood up and carried his drink over to the bar.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Luke asked after his cousin in confusion.

"Mind if I sit down?"

Luke looked up and jumped out of his seat and hugged Jo; barely able to restrain himself from spinning her around as he stood up. "Jo! I wasn't expectin' you back so soon."

"I caught a flight this mornin' into Atlanta; then I had to wait for a commuter flight into Capital City. I said that I'd be back didn't I?"

Luke sent a look Jebb's way, watching him whisper to Daisy behind the bar. Jebb winked back at him with laughter in his eyes. Dang, he saw Jo walk in after he'd tricked him moments earlier. If only Jebb hadn't been so right about him, maybe Luke wouldn't be so annoyed with him.


	9. Miscommunication

**Chapter 9: Miscommunication**

"Wait a minute. I thought that you were just goin' to D.C. to meet with your father."

"That's what I thought, too. He had already met with the director before I arrived and he had an appointment for me all set up. I was able to get a few days to think about it at least."

"Do you want to take the job?" Luke asked kind of worried about the answer.

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it yet." Jo hoped that her visit to Hazzard would help her make that decision. "Right now I don't really want to think about it anyway."

Jo gave Luke a coy smile which earned her a smile in return. How she loved to see that slow smile on Luke's face.

"I think I agree. Work can wait. Why don't I take ya out to that movie that we missed last night since you were in Fort Fumble? Then we can get off to ourselves, away from everyone else."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Jo said as she took Luke's offered hand to help her stand up.

Over at the bar, Jebb and Daisy were talking about Luke and Jo still when the two got up and headed out together hand in hand.

"They waited longer than I thought they would before getting out of here," Jebb said as Daisy brought him a refill.

"I don't know…I'm worried about Luke. Do you think he's getting in over his head with Jo?" Daisy took a rag and started to polish some of the glasses behind the bar.

"Nope. He's already there. He's still fightin' to keep his head above water though." Jebb sipped on his beer trying to fight back a chuckle.

"You act like that's a good thing, Jebb. He's goin' to get hurt," Daisy said as she swiped at him with the bar rag.

"What makes you think that, Daisy. It's clear that they've got plenty of chemistry together."

"Yeh, and Luke flunked chemistry in school. Luke is clearly more into the captain than she is into him," Daisy said with a glare at her cousin.

"What? What makes you think that?"

"I asked her if she was serious about Luke and she got evasive. She said quote, _'I'm as serious about Luke as he is about me.'_ She didn't gush or anything."

"Maybe she's just not the type to gush, Daisy. And what's wrong with that statement anyway? She said that she was serious about Luke."

"She's known Luke for years which means that she knows that Luke rarely gets serious about women. She took the safe way out of the question, Jebb."

"I think you're reading too much into it, Daisy. Actually it sounds a lot like something Kira might would have told ya if you had been able to ask her the same question when she and I were dating. Jo doesn't really know you, she might not have wanted to go into any of the details about hers and Luke's relationship. Especially if it meant discussing it with Luke's cousin. You don't really think that she'd talk to you like one of her girlfriends right off the bat do you?" Jebb pointed out.

"I'd expect an honest answer from her. I swear, if she hurts Luke, I'll rip her hair out."

Jebb chuckled but decided that it might be best not to respond to that comment, otherwise it might be his hair that she'd decide to yank out.

~01~

Luke couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about the job offer in D.C. waiting for Jo. Being separated by a few hundred miles shouldn't bother him. Especially since they'd been a lot further away over the last several years. But he just didn't want her to take the job. Even if he knew that, he couldn't tell her. He couldn't ask her to give up such a great opportunity that was being handed to her. And to work in Washington, right in the heart of everything. No, he couldn't be responsible for her passing that up.

Luke reached over to the alarm to set the clock for an hour before it was time to get up for chores. With tomorrow being Sunday, he'd better not push his luck and not show up like he hadn't Monday morning. Especially with Bo out of commission and on crutches. Once the alarm was set, Luke pulled Jo closer to him. If she was going to leave for D.C. then he planned to enjoy as much time with her as possible before she left him again. Possibly for good.

~01~

Jo woke up to hearing the alarm blasting away. Funny, she didn't remember setting it. Moving closer to the clock, she was stopped by the reminder that she wasn't alone in bed. Luke rolled over to shut the alarm off and rolled back onto his back.

"What time is it?" Jo moved in closer to the warmth coming from Luke.

"Four-thirty. I have to get back to the farm for chores." Jo groaned a bit. _Four-thirty? Really?_ "I don't want to have another scene like the one from Monday. This way I can get home and get started on the chores on time." Luke planted a kiss on Jo's brow before sitting up and grabbing his jeans off the floor.

"So you were prepared last night, huh? When did you think about setting the alarm?" Jo pulled the sheet up higher already missing Luke's warmth beside her.

"I set it after you fell asleep." Hunting for his shirt, Luke turned around and fought the urge to climb back into bed with Jo. "I wanted to ask you something, though. Would you come to church with me this mornin'?"

"Church?" Jo sat up holding the sheet up and found Luke's shirt on the floor by her side of the bed. She leaned over and grabbed it before tossing it over to Luke.

"The whole family always goes together on Sundays. Then we're goin' over to Jebb's for lunch. We'll be able to spend the day together. After all, you're headin' back out tomorrow." Luke instantly wished that he hadn't reminded himself that she'd be gone so soon.

"Alright. I'm sure I have something that I can wear to church. What time does it start?"

"Ten o'clock," Luke smiled as she accepted his offer.

"Good, I'm going back to sleep. Set the alarm for eight. I'm not staying awake at four-thirty in the morning. I didn't get up this early in the Marines."

Luke laughed but set the alarm for Jo then bent down to kiss her.

"Sweet dreams. I'll see ya in a few hours."

~01~

Jo pulled her rental car up outside of the small church just off of Main Street and sat in it while waiting for the Dukes to all show up. She hated the model that she'd gotten stuck with but she'd been in such a hurry to get back to Hazzard that she left the car that she'd borrowed from Stephanie at the airport in D.C. After all, she had to be right back by Tuesday anyway for her meeting with the Director.

Spying the white Jeep pulling into the lot, Jo got out of the rental and stood by the car waiting for Daisy to park her vehicle. Luke helped Bo grab his crutches then caught sight of Jo in a blue sundress waiting for him. With a slow smile, Luke sauntered over to her and put an arm around her waist and gave her a quick peck.

The rest of the family exchanged looks with one another as Luke and Jo headed on inside together. And they weren't the only ones. The whole congregation quickly began to whisper about the oldest Duke Boy and the woman who was sitting next to him on the row that had long ago been known as the Duke family pew. Jesse sat on the aisle end and now Jebb and Kira sat on the other end just in case they needed to take one of the twins out. Leaving Daisy, Bo, Luke, and now Luke's _Date_ to sit in the middle of the row.

During the service, Luke sat next to Bo allowing Jo to sit between him and Kira since he knew that she was less likely to hound the blonde than Daisy. Kira at least would be a bit more discreet in her fishing for answers about his and Jo's relationship. That left Daisy to sit between Bo and Uncle Jesse.

Midway through the service, Mikey tried to squirm out of his mother's arms, getting bored sitting still for so long. Seeing his Uncle Luke, Mikey tried to reach past Jo to sit on Luke's lap. Jo fought a giggle as Luke finally reached across her to help keep the baby quiet.

"I didn't know that you were such a natural, Mother Goose," Jo whispered after the older baby settled down.

Luke gave her a look but ended up fighting back a chuckle himself. Soon the baby was content in his new seating arrangement and snuggled against Luke's chest and fell off to sleep. That made quite the picture for all of the onlookers in the sanctuary. The oldest Duke Boy with a woman at his side and a baby sleeping in his arms.

At the end of the service, the Dukes all filed out of the church. When Luke and Jo passed the reverend as he shook everyone's hand, he smiled at Jo and told her that he hoped to see her again. Luke hoped that the reverend would see her again to but he had a sinking feeling that he wouldn't.

Luke told his uncle that he'd ride out to Jebb's with Jo. After eying them and then taking in the onlookers around them, Jesse reminded him that lunch was in half an hour and not to be late. With that, the two ex-Marines hopped into Jo's rental car with half the town watching.

"I think that there's a major case of the blonde envy sweeping over most of the women in the church parking lot today. I've not seen so many green eyes in Hazzard since we first moved here." Kira finished strapping Jay into his car seat as Jebb was finishing up with the other baby.

"I didn't think that he'd actually invite Jo to church. How ironic that the sermon today was on the sanctity of marriage. I swear, I think I heard Luke choke when the reverend got up and announced what his sermon was on."

Kira laughed as she climbed into the passenger's seat beside Jebb. "Luke wasn't the only one. Jesse and Bo were doin' some chokin' of their own. Bo even told me that Luke didn't get home until about fifteen minutes before chores this morning. And that's after having not come home at all earlier in the week. Then he told me-"

"I think that it is so unfair that you and Bo can go on and talk to each other all throughout church service while the rest of us are stuck trying to be quiet. But at least it keeps Bo awake during it," Jebb said as he mentioned Kira's telepathic link to her twin brother.

"You better hope that Michael and Jonathan didn't inherit that particular trait. If they did, we're goin' to have a time when they get older."

"I'm keepin' my fingers crossed. Otherwise I'll just blame any trouble that they get into on their mother." Jebb winked at his wife as he teased her.

"I'm sure that you will."

~01~

Over at Jebb and Kira's place, Jebb was discussing their plans to go visit his parents with the babies while Kira and Daisy were trying to get the boys to take some of the baby cereal from a spoon. Jo laughed as they didn't seem to be cooperating with their mother and aunt. As the rest of the family discussed Jebb and Kira's travel plans, Luke motioned to Jo and they both slipped out unnoticed.

"Jebb, with the way that they holler and scream anytime someone that they don't know comes up to them, do you think that now is a good time to go to Placid? Shouldn't you wait until they aren't so skittish around other folks? Shoot, Jay screams even with us if he can't see Kira in the room. And he sees us every day. How are they goin' to handle your folks, not to mention your mom's folks?" Bo asked.

"That's what I tried to tell Mom, Bo. She's determined to see them again right now, though."

"So what are you goin' to do?"

"We're gonna go and then Jebb and I are goin' to go out for the evenin'. Pauline wants some quality time with her grandchildren, she's gonna get it," Kira answered from over at the high chairs. Bo started to laugh at his sister's answer.

"You wouldn't?" Bo's brows shot up at Kira's answer.

"Wouldn't I?" Kira grinned at her brother as she answered.

"Mom asked for it. So she's goin' to get it."

Jebb laughed as he remembered his wife's reasoning behind not trying to talk his mother out of the visit. Especially since Kira and his mother had an uneasy truce at best between them. Secretly, Jebb was going to enjoy seeing his mother getting frazzled trying to take care of twins who will want someone other than her.

"Are you sure that the farm hand that you hired will keep things runnin' while you're gone?" Jesse asked since he was concerned for the running of Jebb's farm.

"Sure, Ryan's a good guy. He's trying to convince Misty Collins's father that he can take care of her. He's done a fine job around here so far."

"Do you want me and Luke to check in on him while you're gone?" Bo asked trying to be helpful.

"Nah, at least not in a way that would be obvious anyway. Not to mention, you ain't exactly goin' to be able to be all that subtle while on them crutches."

"Oh yeh, I forgot." Bo lowered his head embarrassed by his predicament. "Hey Luke-" Bo turned in his chair expecting to see him in the next room. "Where'd he go?"

Jo and Luke went for a walk in the nearby woods and Luke for one was glad to be away from the prying eyes of his family. They walked in comfortable silence, hand in hand, until they came to a stop at a small fishing hole on Jebb's land. When Luke found a spot under a shady tree, he sat down with Jo beside him.

"It's nice here." Jo leaned up against Luke's shoulder.

"Yeh, it is." Luke rested his cheek on the top of her head while wrapping an arm around her. "You should see it in the winter with snow around."

"I'll bet its real pretty."

Jo and Luke then sat in silence while enjoying each other's company. Now that they were finally alone, Luke leaned in and stole a few kisses; wishing that he could freeze time and stay here with Jo without having to worry about her leaving out tomorrow for Washington D.C.

Leaning back, Luke pulled Jo on top of him to protect her dress from any grass stains. He'll suffer Daisy's wrath for the ones that he was getting on his own clothes. Luke let his hands wander absently while his mind was working overtime. Trying to come up with a good reason that Jo should stay in Hazzard instead of going to D.C. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of a single one. Other than he was going to miss her.

Laying here by the pond, Jo's mind started to wander to her up and coming meeting. Apparently, so did Luke's.

"Are you goin' to take that job in Washington?"

Jo tilted her head back to look at Luke when he spoke. "I still haven't made up my mind yet. Do you think I should?"

Jo figured that this would be as good of a way as any to see where their relationship was going. If Luke wants her to take the job, then he doesn't want to pursue a deeper relationship with her. Right frankly, Jo didn't really want the job. Not if she had a chance of staying with Luke like they were right now. If he didn't want her to take the job, well, maybe things between them were further along than she thought.

Luke pulled her a bit closer to force her to look back down. He couldn't do this if he saw her face. He started to work his jaw over time as he tried to figure out how to answer her. "Well, it is a great opportunity. I reckon that most people would give their eye-teeth for a chance like that. I guess most would even say that you'd be crazy to pass it up."

Luke leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Not really wanting to help Jo in deciding to take the job with the NIS but his conscience wouldn't let him discourage her from taking it just because he didn't want her to leave.

"I guess you're right." And there it was. Luke was telling her to leave. So much for that pipe dream.

Meanwhile Luke was thinking about how words had never seemed so bitter before. "What time is your flight?" Luke figured he might as well as prepare himself for Jo's departure.

"I leave out of Capital City at eleven. Then catch a flight out of Atlanta for D.C." Jo thought about the meeting and how she really didn't want to go to it. But what choice did she have. She can't stay here. And outside of Hazzard with Luke, the only place that she seemed to belong was up in Washington.

Luke tried hard to tell himself that it was probably for the best. To let Jo go now rather than later. After all, he doubted that she could ever be happy here in Hazzard anyway. So why did it hurt so damn much, and she hadn't even left yet?


	10. The Fool of the County

**Chapter 10: The Fool of the County**

Luke woke up early the next morning before the alarm went off. He went ahead and switched it off before it could sound and rolled back over and thought about waking Jo up before he had to leave. After enjoying the comfort of staying next to her for a while, he decided that he'd better get on up and start the day. He quietly got dressed and then, with one last look to Jo sleeping in the bed, headed on out of the room and back toward the farm to get the chores done for the morning.

He knew that he might not see Jo again; that was probably why he couldn't bring himself to wake her up before he left out. Because today, she was leaving. Plain and simple. It made him feel like he was taking the coward's way out but if he didn't do it this way, he might end up asking her to stay instead. He couldn't do that. She didn't belong in a small town like Hazzard.

Now Luke was beginning to wish that she hadn't come to Hazzard at all. Things had been just fine the way that they were. He had looked forward to her letters, and lately, her phone calls as well. It had worked perfectly for years. Now, things just won't be the same again.

~01~

Hours later, Luke was out in the fields, checking on the crops when he looked up to see a small commercial airplane fly overhead. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was just after eleven. Luke stopped what he was doing and watched as the plane disappeared from sight.

"Something wrong, Luke." Uncle Jesse eyed his oldest as he watched the aircraft.

"No sir." Luke turned away from the direction that the plane had been heading and placed his attention back on the corn that desperately needed some more rain. The summer shower from a week ago just hadn't been enough for the parched crops.

"Luke, is the capt'n comin' over for dinner tonight or are you two goin' out instead? That way I'll know how to plan for dinner."

"She won't be comin' out, Uncle Jesse. That was her plane that flew over," Luke started walking the field again as he spoke. He really didn't need to get into this with his uncle right now.

"What do you mean she ain't comin' over? What do you mean that was her plane? What are you talkin' about?" Jesse said a bit flabbergasted at what Luke had just said.

"She was offered a job in D.C. So, that's where she's goin'."

Jesse looked hard at his nephew trying to gauge just how he was taking the departure of the young woman in question. "When did this all happen?"

"When she went to go see her father last week, he had a job offer waiting for her. She came back and told me about it Saturday."

"And what did you say about the job when she told you about it?" Jesse asked while studying his oldest.

"I told her it was a great opportunity for her. That anyone would fall all over themselves to take it."

Jesse took Luke by the arm and stopped him from walking. "You didn't try to talk her out of it? I kinda thought that she'd be hangin' around by the way you two were gettin' along."

"No I didn't try to talk her out of it, okay?" Luke turned away from his uncle hoping that he'd drop the subject.

Jesse's face fell as he realized that Luke was just going to let Jo leave without so much as a fight. "It ain't too late to call the airport and leave a message for her to call you when she lands. You can still ask her to come back."

Luke turned back to see his uncle standing with his arms crossed giving him the same look that had worked when he was younger to get him to apologize for various misdeeds, usually to Bo or Daisy. A look that told him that a suggestion was a veiled order. But this time, Luke just won't be able obey the silent order.

"I can't do that, Uncle Jesse. It would be selfish to expect her to give up the job. A job like that is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"So is finding the right woman to spend your life with, Luke," Jesse said firmly. "I still think that you should call her and stop her. At least let her decide for herself after she has all of the facts, like how much you care for her. Seems like you're making all of the choices for Jo. She needs to know that you want her to stay."

"Uncle Jesse, I just don't want her to pass up on anything that she'll regret later on."

"Well answer me this. Do you love her?"

Luke looked back at his uncle and thought about the question. "I don't know. Now can we get back to the crops? I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Jesse shook his head at the stupidity of his oldest. "Well all I can say is if you don't go and at least try to see this relationship through, then I guess that I'll have the privilege to say that I raised the biggest fool in the county."

With that, Jesse turned and left Luke to think about what he'd said. Funny how he could be so dang smart most of the time but not have a lick of sense when it comes to matters of the heart.

~01~

That evening, Luke was quiet during dinner. Jesse kept eying him but he didn't say anything. He hated that his boy was so bound and determined to learn such a bitter lesson the hard way. That he was having to experience the pain of losing someone that he cared about after only beginning to realize just how much Jo meant to him. And mainly due to his own stubbornness.

Jesse wasn't the only one to notice the change in Luke though. Daisy was so mad that she could spit nails. She knew that Luke was going to get hurt. If she ever sees the captain again, she'll be certain to teach her a lesson or two on what happens when you mess with a southern girl's family. How could that woman just come in here and turn everything upside down and then just waltz on back out without batting an eye?

Daisy watched as Luke headed out to take care of some of the chores out in the barn after only eating half of his dinner. Her heart broke for her cousin. He wasn't the kind to give his heart away to just anyone. She wished that there was something that she could do for him. Dang it, she told Jebb that Luke was going to get hurt.

~01~

Jo threw her bag down and collapsed on the bed after finally getting to her hotel room in Maryland just north of D.C. and she was beat. Her flight had been delayed out of Atlanta and she was just getting in and she was tired from traveling. She eyed the phone, trying to decide if she should call Luke. She decided against it though as she thought back to this morning and how heartbroken she'd felt when she woke up alone.

That was the Luke that she'd expected when she went to Hazzard. The one that would duck out to avoid an awkward morning after scene. It just seemed that she was given mixed signals while she was in Hazzard. At times it seemed like Luke didn't want her to leave, other times he did. Especially when the job offer had come up. He as much told her that she should take the job. And of course if she takes this job that would pretty much put an end to any further pursuit of a real relationship between them.

Going over to the phone, she picked up the receiver and dialed a number to New York instead. It had been a while since she'd checked in with Stephanie. Maybe she could help her decide what she should do.

~01~

Luke sat out on the porch alone. He had been looking out at the horizon as the sun set, thinking about the last week and a half. Now he stared off at the distance in the dark. Two weeks ago he had been perfectly happy to work during the day, go out to the Boar's Nest for a beer or two, go out with one of the women in town when he wanted a little company for the evening, come home and sleep in his bed in the room that he'd shared with his cousin for most of his life. Fowl up the occasional plot of Boss Hogg's and wake up and do it all over again the next day. That was his life.

Now his life just didn't seem the same. Now he didn't look forward to going into an empty bed. Oh sure, he could find a quick and easy substitute but it wouldn't be the same. Luke took another swallow from the mason jar that he'd brought out with him. He started to think about how he could have done things differently. He could have asked her to stay. He could have let her pass up on the great opportunity only for her to regret it later. And if he had, she eventually would come to resent him for it.

No, this way was better. Somehow.

~01~

_"You're kidding! The same Luke Duke that I think that you're talking about?"_

"Why are you so surprised? You knew that I've stayed in contact with him for years."

_"Yes, but staying in contact by letter and going down to Georgia for a little recreational sex are not the same thing."_

"Steph! It was not like that!" Jo kicked her shoes off and rolled onto her stomach on the bed as she got comfortable as she spoke. Funny how she could be over thirty years old and be reduced to a teenager by just a few minutes on the phone with her best friend.

_"Uh-huh? So..ooo..O?"_

"So what?"

_"You know what I want to know. Did he live up to his reputation from when he was in the Marines or has time started to take its toll on him?"_

Jo thought back to her time in Hazzard and started to grin to herself. "Well..." Jo started to giggle. "Let's just say that if time has started to affect him, I wouldn't have survived being with him when we were both in the Marines."

_"Really?"_ Stephanie than began to dig every detail that she could out of Jo about her time in Hazzard with the tall dark and handsome Duke. In turn, that led to discussion about just how and why she'd left Hazzard and ended up in (as is commonly known) Fort Fumble. _"Well, are you going to really take that job that the general arranged for you? I mean. Is that what you want?"_

"I don't know. What else can I do? I wouldn't have thought twice about it if..." If Luke had asked her not to take it.

_"You really expected Duke to ask you to stay?"_

"No. I wanted him to but I knew that he wouldn't."

_"Well, let's take him out of the equation. Forget about the fact that you two have gone from being friends to friends with benefits-"_

"Steph!"

_"What? There isn't anything wrong with that."_

"Quote the Walking Mattress."

_"Watch it. Anyway, as I was saying; let's forget about Duke for a minute. If you were offered this job three weeks ago, would you have taken it?" _

Jo stopped as she thought about the question. Would she have taken it three weeks ago?

~01~

Jo had her appointment in a few hours but she had one last thing that she wanted to do before she kept it. Picking up the phone, she dialed a number that she'd wanted to dial the night before but hadn't wanted to appear needy and desperate like other women who had gone in and out of Luke's life before. If she did, she just might end whatever kind of relationship that they still had. Even if it really was just a casual relationship.

_"Duke Farm. Bo Duke speakin'."_

"Hi, Bo. Is Lu...is Luke around?" She had to remember that no one else called him Lukas very often.

_"Captain? I mean Jo. Is that you?"_

"Yes. It's me. So, about Luke?"

_"Oh, I'm sorry, darlin'. He headed out to go get some feed in town. He's gonna hate that he missed ya."_

"I should have known that this would be a busy time of the day. I'll just have to call some other time."

_"I'll make sure that he knows that you called. Any particular time that he can expect you to call back?"_

"I don't know. I'll probably wait until Sunday. Things don't seem as busy then. Thanks, Bo."

_"No problem, darlin'."_

~01~

Jo shook hands with the director and walked out of the door. She made her way to the elevator and waited for the door to close behind her and leaned heavily up against the wall as the car began to move downward. She hoped that she'd made the right decision and that she wasn't going to end up regretting what she'd done today.

Talking to Stephanie had helped last night. She'd helped her to clear away the mess in her mind and had her answer one simple question. Would she have taken the job three weeks ago? Forget about anything else that had happened past that time frame. When it was put that way, she knew what the answer would have been then and that it should be the same now.

When the elevator came to a stop at the lobby, she left and found her way to her car. She then got in and pointed it towards the hotel.

~01~

Luke pulled back up in the farmyard and carried the bag of feed on into the barn. Once he was done, he headed back towards the house to find Bo standing on the porch.

"Shouldn't you be off of that ankle of yours?"

"You had a phone call. Jo called."

Luke's eyes went wide briefly, "Jo? When?"

"About twenty minutes ago. I told her that you'd gone out to town for the feed. She said she'll call back this weekend when it ain't so busy around here."

"Thanks, Bo." Great. Jo calls and he wasn't even here to take the call. Today was Tuesday and now he'll have to wait all week to try to catch her next call. "Bo, I'll be back in a little while."

With that, Luke headed back over to the General Lee and tore back out of the farmyard.

~01~

A little while later, Luke pulled the car up at the old still site on the outer edge of the Duke Property that had a small cabin that the family used to use when they had an overnight cook. It was just a small, one bedroom cabin but Luke liked coming here when he wanted to get off by himself and think alone.

He headed over and sat on the porch trying to decide what he should do about him and Jo as he thought about the time that they'd spent together, both in the Marines and here in Hazzard. And then he started to think about the question that his uncle had asked him yesterday. He supposed that the answer to the question, _'Do you love her?'_ would have to be a yes. But how do you know when you are in love with someone. After all, not every kind of love was the same. He'd known of other women that had _Loved_ him but none of them had been _IN LOVE_ with him and he knew it.

So the big question is, **_'How do you KNOW?'_**

~01~

The days went by slowly but eventually Sunday came and Luke tried not to look like he was waiting for the phone to ring all day. Once when Lucinda called Jesse shortly after lunch Luke had been certain that the phone being tied up would make him miss Jo's call again. Finally, after dinner, the phone rang again and he quickly carried the phone cradle back into the guest bedroom so he could speak to Jo in private without the whole family listening.

"Uncle Jesse, how could she just come to town, stir up all kinds of trouble and leave Luke like this? I ain't ever seen him pine away like he is for Jo."

"Don't waste too much pity on that boy, Daisy. It's his own fault. She asked him his opinion and he told her to go. So if he's miserable, he only has to go as far as the mirror to see who's to blame," Jesse said as he started to clear the dishes away.

"He what?"

"You heard me. He said that he told her that she'd be crazy not to take the job all of the way up in Washington. He didn't even try to ask her to stick around. He as much as pushed her right out of his life with one quick swoop. I tried gettin' him to call her back at the airport when she left but he was just too damn stubborn. Certain that he was doin' the right thing. The blasted fool."

Daisy glanced back to the door to the bedroom and tried to figure out why her cousin would tell Jo to leave when it was obviously making him miserable.

~01~

"So, have you started to settle in yet?" Luke looked out the small window to the farmyard as he listened to Jo reply.

_"Not yet."_ Jo paused on the other end. _"I just hoped that I did the right thing. I guess I'm having second thoughts. Are you sure that you think that I should be in Washington?"_ Jo knew that it might be a little weak but she just needed to hear one more time that Luke wanted her to take the job, thus, not able to be in Hazzard with him.

"I don't think that you could hope for another shot like you're being given right now. You shouldn't pass it up." _Especially just for me._ He couldn't bring himself to say that last bit. "I'm sure that you'll be an old pro in no time. And you already know D.C. like that back of your hand so it's not like you're likely to be gettin' lost; a lot that is." A weak statement but he hadn't been prepared to reaffirm that Jo leaving was the right thing.

Jo looked around the small room that she was in and sighed. She was a sucker for punishment wasn't she? She just had to let Luke tell her to stay away again.

_"I'm not really worried about getting lost, Lukas. I've never been lost a day in my life and you know it."_ Luke laughed at the way Jo to offense at the notion that she was walking around D.C. like the common tourist holding tightly to a map while trying to find her way around. _"Of course, with the way you're talking, maybe I'll get lost on my way back to Hazzard as I'm driving through in a few weeks."_

"You'll be coming back?" Luke started to smile at the thought of seeing her again.

_"As soon as I find a decent apartment I'll have to go back to Georgia to get my stuff out of storage. I was thinking about stopping over for a night or two. But considering that you think that I'm so directionally challenged, maybe I won't be able to find my way back after all."_

"Come on, I was just teasin'. When do you think you'll be able to come back out?" Luke said grinning into the phone.

_"I don't know. A month maybe."_

"Hey, that'll be good. Bo will be off of his crutches by then. I'll stick 'em with my share of the chores for a couple of days as payback for having to do his share right now. Not to mention, I think I can come up with a way for us to enjoy your time while you're here."

_"Boy, that didn't take long for you to start to getting your wheels a turning."_

"That tends to happen with the right kind of motivation." Luke laughed as he already started to make plans for when Jo came back to Hazzard.


	11. Continuing as Friends with Benefits

**Chapter 11: Continuing as Friends with Benefits**

Bo hobbled into Doc Appleby's office ready to get the blasted cast taken off of his foot. He'd even endured the awkwardness in getting into the General with his cast this morning since it'll be a lot easier getting in on the way back to the farm. When he walked into the doc's office, he smiled at the older, white-haired man that he'd known all of his life.

"Hey, Doc. Boy am I glad to see you."

"Now there's a statement that I don't hear from you very often." Doc Appleby chuckled as he watched Bo hop up on the exam table with Luke's help. "I assume that you're ready to get that cast taken off?"

"I sure am. I just wish that it had been you that had been here when I had to have it put on."

"Well I was under the impression that Kimberly had done a fine job when I was away," Doc started the process of removing the cast as he spoke.

"That depends on what you consider a fine job, I suppose. That girl has absolutely no bedside manner. I probably would have done better to just hobble around with a broken ankle instead of coming in here."

"Bo," Luke looked up and gave his cousin a warning.

"I swear; that woman's got the personality of a rattlesnake. Not to mention she-"

"Is in the doorway, Bo," Luke added. Bo looked up and saw Kim standing with her arms crossed in the doorway to the small exam room. She gave Bo a disgusted look before turning to her uncle.

"I've got everything all set up, Uncle Irving. Is there anything in particular that you wanted from the diner? I was planning on calling in an order."

"Thanks, Kimberly. I'll just take the special for lunch. Will you be alright in that spare office? It's not that big."

"It's fine. And you forget, any office is more than I've had before coming here. I'll go make that call now."

After Kim left, Bo looked to the aged doctor with questions in his eyes. "What was that about?"

"Oh, I guess you haven't heard. I've been thinking of cutting back a bit. Not retiring, just working less. I asked Kim if she'd be interested in covering here in the office. I plan to still make house calls, especially to some of the older patients that I've got, but Kimberly will take over most of the clinical hours."

"You're kiddin'. Right?" Bo had hoped that when the brunette had left a few weeks ago that it had been for good.

"Nope. I've been toying with the idea for a long time now. With Kimberly coming back to the States, needing to get started in a practice now, it just all seemed to fit together rather nicely."

Luke snickered as his cousin absorbed the fact that his nemesis was going to be around Hazzard permanently. When the doctor left after the cast was removed, Bo groaned.

"Great. Is there a way that we can make sure that the viper wears a bell or a rattle or something to give everyone a warning when she's around?"

"It looks like you're the only one who really has a problem with her, Bo. Not to mention she doesn't seem to be bothered by anyone but you. Are you sure that didn't date her in high school and dump her? I mean, as many girls as you've gone through, one or two are bound to slip your mind," Luke said laughing.

"No, Lukas! I never dated her! Now let's get out of here before she comes back. And I'm driving! It's been too long since I've gotten to drive the General."

Luke chuckled as he followed his cousin out of the office. The new lady doctor and his cousin definitely seemed to have gotten under each other's skin.

~01~

Luke had gotten a few things together for Jo's visit back to Hazzard. He knew that his family was still watching him when it came to the two of them; especially Jesse. Though at least they had started to ease up a bit lately. The last thing that he needed was for their interest to be piqued again by all of them learning that Jo was coming back for a couple of days. He told Uncle Jesse that he wanted to get off to himself for a couple of days, away from the family.

Jesse assumed that Luke wanted to get away to think about his and Jo's relationship (since he was still getting a phone call from her about once a week) for a while but he had known that he couldn't leave the farm while Bo was still on crutches. Now that Bo was back on his feet, Luke could be spared for a few days. Jesse hoped that he'd finally come to his senses when it came to how he was going about things with the blonde ex-Marine.

Bo of course had been put off by Luke's wanting to get away. Even from him. It's not like they hadn't ever gone off by themselves before. It's just that he'd been out of commission for so long that he'd been looking forward to cutting loose with his cousin for a while. But considering that Luke had been doing so much extra work around the farm, he supposed he deserved some time to himself.

Luke had talked to Jo and filled her in on his plan and had gotten everything that he needed together. Now he was heading to where he'd arranged to meet Jo once she got into the county. He borrowed Kira's motorcycle for a couple of days so he could leave the car with Bo.

Watching the road, Luke waited for Jo's car to come into view.

~01~

Kim walked into the Boar's Nest and took a stool at the bar. She ordered a soda since she didn't drink. She'd decided to stop in because she wasn't ready to go home yet.

"Hey, Kim. I ain't seen you in here all that often. How's it been goin'?"

"Hey, Daisy. Yeh, sorry. I've been a bit busy trying to get settled in now that I'm back in Hazzard. Anything interesting been happening around here?"

"Nope. Everything's been real quiet. In fact, I was on the day shift today which is about over. Hey, I know, why don't you come on out and join us for dinner again tonight. That way we can catch up."

"I don't think so, Daisy. No offense but I think that the last thing that I'd want to do is spend an evening with your egotistical Ya-hoo of a cousin. We'll just have to get together some other time, Daisy."

"We'll have to go shopping this weekend instead then."

"I'll make sure I wear my running shoes so I can keep up with you." Kim laughed as she agreed to the shopping trip.

"Great. I'll see you this weekend."

~01~

"Bring many women here?" Jo asked as she got out of her car and took a look at the small cabin that Luke had led her to.

"Nope. Most women freak out if they're taken somewhere as rustic as this old place." Luke grabbed Jo's bag out of the car for her. "But I figured that you'd might like it. Besides, there'd be no point in havin' you pay to stay out at the hotel when this place is just sittin' here not gettin' used."

Jo smiled as Luke went on to explain how the cabin had been used as a place to stay overnight during a cook. The still had been removed from the site a long time ago. Back when he and Bo first went out on probation. Now Luke used the cabin as a place to come to when he wanted a little space. He was pretty sure that his uncle knew that he came here but he wouldn't come up and intrude unless something was wrong.

Once inside, Jo saw how the main room served as both the living room and kitchen. There was a woodstove in the kitchen area along with a small table with two chairs. The furniture in the living area looked like it had been in the cabin for at least thirty years but at the same time gave a welcoming feeling to the room. The cabin seemed to fit Luke's personality; and he was right, she did like it.

"So, Lukas. Should I even ask what you've got planned for the next couple of days?"

"Well, I thought that I'd show you the old Indian caves tomorrow. They were always fun to explore around in when I was younger. Maybe take a hike up into the mountains."

"You gonna try to prove that you can still cut it as a tough Marine? Are we taking sixty pound field packs with us?"

"Nah. We'll just take light packs instead."

"Good. 'Cause I'm on vacation and you're out of practice so..." Jo joked as she slipped an arm around Luke's waist.

"You don't think I could handle a hike in the mountains anymore with a full field pack?" Luke gave Jo an offended look.

"I am not answering that. Otherwise I might end up regretting it." Jo laughed as Luke tried to decide if he should prove that he could indeed handle himself as well as he could when he was in the Marines. Jo reached up to give Luke a kiss then turned to unpack her bag.

Perhaps she should have felt awkward coming back to Hazzard knowing that things couldn't really progress into a _normal_ relationship, but Jo had come to terms with the new aspect of hers and Luke's relationship. As Stephanie said, it seemed that they had gone from just being friends to being friends with benefits. It wasn't quite the relationship that she'd been hoping for but it was better than nothing at all.

Jo settled in with Luke and the two enjoyed a supper of Luke's version of his uncle's rattlesnake chili. It had been a new experience for her, eating snake but she had to admit it had been good.

Throughout the evening, though, Jo noticed that Luke had intentionally changed the subject whenever she brought up D.C. and the job offer that had been the reason for her leaving weeks ago. She really did want to talk to him about it, but she had a couple of days before she was leaving out again so she supposed that there was no rush.

As the sun began to set, Jo and Luke sat out on a hammock that was set up outside of the cabin to watch it. Being out away from the city, sitting with Luke, it was much easier to appreciate the simpler things in life. The simplistic beauty of nature itself. There was no place like this near where she'd gotten an apartment in the big city. The sterilized parks that were provided just weren't the same. They were a poor imitation for really getting out away from the rush and fast pace of the city. Not to mention, Luke wouldn't ever be found in a place like that. He belonged in the unfettered countryside.

"Any plans for when your probation is finally lifted?" Jo asked mainly to keep herself from falling asleep in the hammock as it gently swung back and forth in the breeze.

"Nah. Mainly I'm just looking forward being able to not look over my shoulder all of the time. Though I'm sure that Boss still has a few tricks up his sleeve. I'll not hold my breath just yet."

Luke let a hand begin to idly rub along Jo's back as she snuggled against his chest. Sitting together felt so right to him. Especially after he'd gotten Jo to stop trying to talk about D.C. He knew that she'd be heading back there in a couple of days; he just didn't want to think about it for right now. He'll worry about her leaving back out when it happens. For right now, he wanted to enjoy having her all to himself for this small moment of time.

"It will be great being able to go over to the next county without having to get a blasted piece of paper saying that I can. It's like getting a hall pass when I was in school, with Boss as the principal."

Jo had to fight a smile at the comparison. "Sounds a lot like getting permission to go out on liberty."

"Maybe, but only if that liberty gets revoked the moment you cross the county line." Luke may not want to leave Hazzard, but he didn't like not being given the choice to decide that for himself. Just another few weeks and he won't have to worry so much about his inability to cross a line in the sand so to speak without permission. Luke looked down and saw how tired Jo seemed to be. He should have realized that she'd be exhausted after such a long drive from up north. "Come on. You need some sleep."

Luke led Jo back inside, ready to call it an early night. Luke changed into his shorts and Jo slipped on her nightshirt and the two curled up together in the small bed in the bedroom. As tired as Jo was, it didn't take long for Luke to hear her breathing change to the slow steady rhythm that told him that she was already fast asleep. Luke pulled the thin sheet up that he'd brought with him since it was far too hot outside for blankets, even during the coolest part of the night right now. He wasn't really all that tired himself so he just laid back and watched Jo sleep for a while.

He was going to hate seeing her leave Saturday, possibly break his heart again, but for right now, it will be worth it.

~01~

The next morning, Jo and Luke were out exploring the old Indian caves and Luke showed her where it was rumored that some of the old tribes had allegedly hidden out when the army had begun to round up the natives of the land to move them west. Jo enjoyed her time below ground considering just how hot the August sun was shining outside. Exploring the caves seemed like the perfect way to cool off a bit with the temperatures outside still climbing rapidly. Jo was now realizing that all of the descriptions that Luke had used to describe the summer weather in Hazzard had not been exaggerations at all.

After spending nearly the whole day looking through every nook and cranny in the caves near the old still site, the two returned back to the cabin in time for some supper. Again after dinner, Jo broached the subject that she knew that Luke wanted to ignore while they were curled up on the tiny couch in the living area. She had no more than started to mention her meeting with the director more than a month ago then Luke began to slip a hand under her shirt, intentionally distracting her.

So much for talking. Jo figured that if that's how he wants to go about things, she wouldn't mind the distraction. She shifted around so that she was straddling Luke on the couch and kissed him. If she could only have a few days with Luke, then she'd better make the most of them.

~01~

_'Bo-Bear, is there a reason why you are staring at the good doctor over there?'_

Kira laughed as her brother gave her a shocked look. Without Luke around, Bo had decided to spend a little time with his sister and brother-in-law/cousin. Jesse had volunteered to watch the boys for them and was looking forward to being alone with the young Dukes. Especially since Jay's anxiety seemed to have gone down a few notches in the last couple of weeks.

_'I was not staring at her.'_

_'Sure you weren't.'_

Kira smirked as she noticed Jebb giving both of them odd looks. He could tell when they were talking to one another through their link. "Jebb, what do you make of Bo and Kim's little rivalry that they have going on between them?"

"Kira! It ain't nothin' but the fact that she's mad that I wouldn't go out with her when we were younger. It's sour grapes. And I just don't care to be around women who would just assume watch me die if I was in trouble than to help is all. That woman is trouble. Plain and simple." Bo took another sip out of his beer as he tried to ignore the looks that the blond and redhead at the table were giving him.

"Well," Jebb had to fight a chuckle before he could answer his wife's question. "I think he's makin' a whole bunch of noise for nothin'. I'm not sure that it's us that he's tryin' to convince that he ain't attracted to the once plain, bookish, young woman turned doctor."

Kira and Jebb both laughed out loud as Bo choked on his beer.

"You guys are sick. In fact, if this is the sort of company I can expect over here with you two, I think I'll trade ya'll up for someone better."

Bo got up and went to talk to one of the women at the bar, as far away from where Kim Appleby was sitting as he could. Both of the married Dukes watched as Bo used his usual charm to convince the woman that he was talking with to dance.

Across the room, Kim's brow creased before she headed on out of the bar. An action that Daisy hadn't missed from behind the bar. She knew that where there's smoke there's fire. Daisy was surprised that the smoke alarm hasn't gone off any of the times that those two were here at the bar at the same time. Now if she could just get those two stubborn mules to realize it. It looked like she might have her work cut out for her in that department. Neither was willing to admit the attraction for the other and anytime they were together they ended up bickering. But Daisy knew that was how they were covering up something very different about how they really felt about one another.

Grabbing a glass to dry, Daisy started to try to come up with a way to push those two together so that they'd have to confront those feelings.


	12. Drunken Confession

**Chapter 12: Drunken Confession**

Jo bit her lip as she gripped the quilt beneath her on the bed then released it and held onto Luke's shoulders instead as he nuzzled her neck. Her whole body felt like it was on fire and his hands only stoked the flames.

"You don't have to try to hold back." Luke captured Jo's lips lustfully before breathlessly coming back up for air. "Can't no one hear you out here."

Jo lifted her head up for another kiss and Luke responded by dipping his head back down to meet hers. As he pulled back, Luke playfully nipped her lips. Jo moaned as she moved her hands along Luke's back as she arched her own. When she finally screamed out his name, Luke felt the familiar charge that he'd felt the previous times that he'd gotten Jo to lose herself while in his arms.

After hearing his own name called out with passion, Luke renewed his efforts in making love to Jo with even more vigor. Making sure that when she left for Washington again, she wouldn't be able to find anyone else who could compare to her experience with him. Eventually, after reaching his own climax, Luke collapsed and rolled to the side and pulled Jo with him. For several minutes they both held on to one another while trying to slow their breathing down. Sweat pouring off of both of them.

"I swear... you're trying... to kill me," Jo said when she finally got enough air back in her lungs.

"Why?" Luke hugged Jo as he moved her hair out of her eyes. "You tryin' to say that you saw Heaven?"

"That was a horrible line, Lukas." Jo moved so that she was being spooned by Luke, her head resting on his upper arm. "I'm sure that there have been plenty of other women to sing your praises to you before."

Luke let his hand follow the contours of Jo's body as she was pressed up against him. "But you don't sing, do you?"

"Not a note, Lukas. So stop fishing. Besides, I'm not sure I can handle having your ego grow anymore than it already has."

"You sure it's the size of my ego that you're concerned with right now?"

Jo turned and gave him an exasperated look before giving him a slight shove. "Real cute, Lukas. Fishing for a song about that, too?"

"Nope. I already got to hear ya sing it a couple minutes ago." Luke chuckled as Jo grabbed the pillow from under his head and smacked him with it. "Speakin' of which, come on. We'd better go get cleaned up."

"And how do you suggest we do that? I thought this place doesn't have any plumbing. No shower. Remember?"

"You'll see." Luke grabbed his shorts as Jo grabbed her over-sized t-shirt and followed Luke outside. He then led her to a small swimming hole a few hundred yards away from the cabin. "Come on, we'll go for a swim." Jo gave the swimming hole a wary look as Luke began to make his way over to the shore line after having stripped out of his shorts. "What's wrong? Ain't 'cha ever gone skinny dippin' before?"

Jo swallowed as she glanced around in the dark. No she hadn't ever gone skinny dipping before but that wasn't what concerned her. "Didn't you say that there were a lot of alligators here in Hazzard?"

It wasn't bad enough that there was the threat of gators around, but it was dark so she couldn't even see into the water. Which meant that she wouldn't be able to see anything coming her way if she got in.

"There aren't any in this swimming hole. It's somethin' about the mineral content of the water or something. They don't like it. So they steer clear. Come on. Trust me."

"Alright. But if you're lying to me, Lukas, I swear-"

"Come on. After today's heat, the water feels real good."

Luke waded in to the water then dove in and turned to watch Jo cautiously approach the water's edge after she'd put her shirt aside with Luke's shorts over on a nearby bush. Personally, he didn't mind the slow approach that Jo was taking to getting into the swimming hole. That just gave him a good view of her as she crept into the water.

Once Jo joined him in the water, they both began to swim, though Jo still wasn't sure about whether or not there were any gators around. When she duck under the surface to get her hair wet, she came back up and found that Luke was nowhere in sight. Glancing around, she knew that he couldn't have had enough time to get all of the way back on shore.

"Lukas?"

Right after she called out, she felt something brush her leg. She screamed out, certain that it was a gator. That's when she felt herself being tugged under while getting a mouthful of water in the process. Once under, she started kick and jerk until she felt the hold on her ankle release and she went back up to the surface for air. As she was choking up the water that she'd swallowed, Luke came up for air as well and proceeded to laugh heartily.

"That was uncalled for," Jo wheezed while trying to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist. I promise that I'm the only thing in the water that you have to worry about."

"After the stunt that you just pulled, I'm almost willing to take on a gator instead."

Continuing to laugh, he swam over behind Jo while she continued to give him a cross look over her shoulder. "I said I was sorry. Come on. Forgive me?" Luke pulled her up against him as he spoke.

Jo eyed him for a minute but she really couldn't stay mad at him. Especially when Luke began to massage her from behind, allowing his hands to explore parts of her body that was hidden by the water that he'd recently gotten to know all too well.

"Alright. But if you try something like that again I'll-" Jo gasped as she was taken off guard as Luke dipped a finger into a very intimate area. "I thought we came swimming to get cleaned up from doing this." Jo squirmed, feeling the sensation of being weightless since she couldn't feel the ground beneath her feet even though Luke didn't have that problem since he was a good six inches taller than her.

"You want me to stop?" Luke grinned as he knew what the answer would be.

"No!" She couldn't get any leverage to gain any control while she floated in Luke's arms. She tilted her head back onto Luke's shoulder as she closed her eyes.

Now that she was suspended in the water, totally unable to control any movement, Jo felt a slight feeling of helplessness in Luke's arms. While at the same time, totally trusting him as he held her. As she felt Luke behind her, the thought crossed her mind that she should have told him that she did want him to stop since it was clear where this was heading and she knew that neither had thought to bring any condoms with them when they'd left most of their clothes back up at the cabin. Especially with the scare that she'd had from her last visit to Hazzard.

She'd been convinced that she was pregnant when she was late. When she had finally gotten her period, she had felt a mixture of relief and disappointment at the same time; though she'd never use a pregnancy to trap Luke into a relationship that he didn't want. She'd accepted the fact that Luke was only a friend, a friend who she could have really great sex with. A friend who she was in love with even if he wasn't in love with her. Now it seemed that she'd be tempting fate again because she certainly wasn't ready to stop to hike back up to the cabin just to grab some protection and she wasn't sure that Luke was thinking along those lines either.

~01~

Jo woke up the next morning sprawled across Luke's chest. She started to remember the events of the night before and felt a blush at some of the things that they'd done together. When she started to move off of Luke, she felt his hands tighten on her holding her in place over him.

"Mornin', Darlin'."

"Morning. I hated to disappoint you, but I have to get up."

Giving Luke a look, Jo was able to get him to understand that she needed to go out to the outhouse. He released her after a quick kiss on the forehead and Jo scrambled to find her over-sized shirt on the floor before heading outside. When she returned, she found Luke in his jeans getting some coffee and breakfast going on the woodstove.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"Well, Angel, I thought we'd hop on the bike and head up into the mountains and take a hike. Though I'll spare you from having to eat your words about the sixty pound pack."

"Great. I haven't gone for a run since I've been here. I could use the exercise."

"I thought we've been gettin' plenty of exercise." Luke chuckled as he ducked to avoid getting the back of his head slapped.

"Well, I'd better go get dressed. I can't go hiking in a sleep shirt."

"Don't change on my account."

Jo gave Luke a dirty look before heading into the small bedroom to get changed. Meanwhile, he put the bacon and eggs that he'd fixed from his stock of food that he'd brought with him in a cooler onto the table. Next to the table on the floor, Luke saw Jo's open pack and picked it up when he saw that a sketch pad had slipped out.

Flipping through the pages, he was impressed with Jo's artwork. Most of the pictures were military related. There were drawings of Marines in various poses, in various places around the world. When Luke was looking at a drawing of a Marine carrying a child out of a small hut that resembled some that he'd seen in Vietnam, Jo came back out of the bedroom.

Looking up, Luke smiled. "I didn't know that you were this good. Have you turned any of these into paintings, yet?"

"Most of them," Jo nodded. "Much to the general's disappointment; he considers it all a waste of time. To him it's nothing but foolishness."

"I don't see anything foolish about these. I think that they're great." Jo blushed at the compliment. She wasn't used to having anyone other than Stephanie telling her that her work was good. "Come on. Breakfast is ready."

Luke tucked the sketch pad back into the bag and began to eat with Jo. As they ate, Luke asked her more about her art and Jo explained how she had wanted to try to get an art show together. Luke had to admit that he felt that Jo's were good enough for just that. He wondered if Jo will ever be able to see that dream become a reality.

~01~

Later that day, Luke and Jo were working up a good sweat, though in a different manner than they had the night before. Luke had chosen a path up the mountain that was rarely used by anyone else in Hazzard since it was a bit steeper than any of the others that led to the summit. When they reached the top of the mountain, they ate a lunch of the packed sandwiches that they'd brought with them along with their canteens of water that they'd filled from a stream down the mountain.

As Jo scanned the horizon, she'd half wished that she'd brought her sketch pad. A view like this one was worth trying to capture and hold on to. In fact, Jo regretted that they hadn't thought to bring any of the camping gear so they could just stay through the night. She'd be willing to bet that the sunset from up the mountain peak was to die for.

During the day, both of the two former Marines began to reminisce back to some of the things that they'd enjoyed when they were younger and Luke would tell Jo of some more of the stories from when the family ran moonshine.

"I have to ask you one question, Lukas. Supposedly, you, Bo, and your Uncle Jesse haven't made any 'shine since you made the deal with the ATF and went out on probation. Yet, you always seem to have an unending supply of 'shine on hand when you want it. Just _how_ have you pulled that off?"

Luke looked around as if to make sure that there was no way that anyone could hear him before answering Jo's question. "Well, the agreement was that the three of us wouldn't make any. But every Duke knows the recipe by heart. My Uncle John will still run off a batch now and again just to hand out to the family. Though my Aunt Pauline would have a coronary if she ever found out."

Jo laughed as she thought about Luke's well-meaning, uppity aunt. No, she probably wouldn't take the fact that her husband still made whiskey too well. "Well, you didn't happen to stash any at the cabin did you? After all of this time, it would seem like a shame to miss out on sampling the famous Duke 'Shine," Jo asked with more than a small bit of curiosity.

"I might have brought a jar or two. But since you're not used to it, I don't think that you should try too much your first time at the table," Luke warned.

"Then let's head on back. Since I'm leaving out tomorrow, this will be my last chance for a while to taste some homemade moonshine."

"Then I guess we'd better be headin' back down the mountain." Luke grimaced at the reminder of her departure but stood and pulled Jo up and the two headed back over to the steep trail to make their way down to the motorcycle.

~01~

Back at the cabin, the two got together a small meal as Luke continued to tell Jo some more of his stories of various adventures that he'd had while in Hazzard. Jo might have remembered some of them from his letters, but she enjoyed watching his face as he told them anyway. After dinner, Luke brought out his stash of moonshine and poured Jo a sample only to sit back and watch her reaction to the burn when she'd taken a bit too large of a sip.

"Careful, Darlin'. That ain't that chardonnay that you're used to." Luke chuckled as he watched Jo's eyes grow wide. Luke then took a swallow of his own. "The first taste is always the strongest. Give yourself a second or two then take another." Jo took another, smaller, sip now. She'd drunk whiskey before but nothing like the whiskey in her glass. "Well?"

"You cut your teeth drinking this stuff? No wonder you could drink anyone under the table that challenged you to a contest. Beer is nothing compared to this stuff."

Luke laughed at the observation. He remembered his days in the Marines too well when some hotshot wanted to prove themselves and challenged him to drinking contests. The only time anyone had come close was when they were 'shiners like him. Soon, he noticed that the 'shine was taking an effect on Jo fairly quickly. She'd had only a fraction of what he'd had but she wasn't used to the two hundred proof moonshine like he was.

"Easy, Darlin'," Luke warned as he watched Jo take a swallow from her glass that was much larger than any of her previous sips. "I'm not sure you should have anymore. You have to build up a tolerance for this stuff."

"I'm alrights Lukash. Tell me...shome more about 'shhinin'." Luke took a look into Jo's eyes and saw that they were already swimming.

"You've had enough. I hate to tell ya this, but I'm cuttin' ya off." Luke grabbed Jo's glass out from her hand as she pouted as she gave up the drink to Luke.

"I'm not that bad...I just want to finishh my drink."

"Sorry, I think that if you finish that glass, you'll end up sicker than you've ever been." Luke put the glasses down on the floor as Jo tucked her feet under her and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You're alwayss lookin' out for otherss aren't 'cha." Luke put an arm around her as she snuggled up against him. He hadn't ever seen Jo drunk before. He hoped that she wouldn't pay too much for it in the morning. "That musht be why I love you."

Jo closed her eyes and started to breathe steadily while leaning heavily into Luke. When she'd said that she loved him he looked down quickly but it was too late to ask her to repeat what she'd said to make sure that he'd heard her right. She'd already passed out.

Taken aback, Luke stared at Jo for a few minutes processing what she'd said and trying to determine if it was just the alcohol talking. Carefully, Luke stood and carried Jo into the bedroom and stripped her down to make her more comfortable then removed his own clothes and laid down with her.

Thinking about what she'd said, he knew that she wouldn't remember it in the morning. He wondered if she'd meant it, though. Pulling the sheet up over both himself and Jo, he pulled her in tight against him.

"I love you too, Angel." With that, Luke laid back and tried to get some sleep.

~01~

Luke woke up early, remembering that Jo was heading back out today. Not knowing just how long it would be before he'd get to see Jo again, he began to lightly trace every inch of her, as if trying to memorize each contour and divot of her body. As his hands moved over her, he remembered her drunken confession from the night before. She said that she loved him, and he believed her.

Before long, he started to feel movement under his hands as Jo began to slowly come alive. She moaned under his touch and squirmed even before she was fully awake. Luke lowered his head and began to leave kisses and nips along her neck and collarbone. As she turned toward Luke, he pulled her over on top of him and gave her a passionate kiss as his hands moved to her hips, moving her to fit perfectly over him.

Jo seemed to be moving in a fog. She wasn't quite sure if she was dreaming or not. The moonshine also seemed to still have her mind a bit cloudy but none of that really mattered right now. It took her a few minutes to find her rhythm, she and Luke hadn't done it this way before, but soon she became comfortable in her new role above the man she loved. She placed her hands on Luke's chest as she tried to maintain her balance as he helped her move over him. Luke raised up to lavish attention to her chest and she tilted her head back trying to take in all of the sensations that she was feeling. He seemed to enjoy his new view of watching her rock to abandon above him.

When Jo screamed out his name and collapsed on top of him, Luke rolled the two of them over together as he took control back from her, in no time having her renewing her cries of passion. Several times when he felt himself nearing the edge, he pulled himself back, wanting to make this last as much as possible. This would be the last time that he'd get to enjoy being with his angel for a long time.

By tonight, she'd be heading back to D.C. and he'd be back at the farm here in Hazzard. But right now, his angel was in his arms and even if she doesn't remember it, she told him that she loved him. And it wasn't in the way that any of the other women that he'd ever slept with had told him.

~01~

Hours later, Jo climbed into her car to head back north. She never did get to talk to Lukas about the job in D.C. He'd changed the subject every time she'd brought it up while she was at the cabin in the woods with him. Of course, every time he changed the subject, she tended to enjoy the new topic of discussion. The only thing that Luke had said in regards to the job in D.C. is that they both knew that she belonged there, working for the government.

Jo hadn't been able to tell him that she disagreed. But she didn't really need yet another man in her life blowing his stack because she'd passed up on an opportunity of a lifetime. When the general had learned that she refused the position with NIS he'd gone ballistic. She didn't need a similar scene with Lukas. She'd tried to tell him. Honest she did. But she wasn't sure if she could handle hearing the same rebukes from Lukas that she'd heard from her father. Somehow, she knew that it would hurt a lot worse coming from him.

Hitting the interstate, Jo made sure that she took the route that took her the furthest from D.C. as if making a statement by avoiding the source of so much of her agony. If not for the capital and its alleged opportunities she might not have had to leave Hazzard behind.


	13. Raiding the Piggy Bank

**Chapter 13: Raiding the Piggy Bank**

"Don't forget to make sure that you put that payment directly in J.D.'s hand on time and get that receipt from him, too. And don't be tryin' to cut it close. You hear me?"

"Yes sir, Uncle Jesse." Bo took the payment and he and Luke went racing over to their shared stock car.

"And don't forget those supplies from Rhuebottoms!" Jesse hollered after his nephews as they screeched out of the farmyard. The orange stock car then practically flew through the countryside, jumping at every chance, on its way to town. The fellas decided that once in town, they'd split up so that they could get the errands done quicker. Bo would head into the bank while Luke would get the supplies that their uncle wanted from over at the general store.

When Bo walked into the bank he saw his sister and nephews waiting in one of the tellers' lines. He still had a few minutes left so he walked over and squatted down next to the stroller and started to tickle both of the nine month olds who each started to squeal with delight.

"Hey, buddies. Why'd you drag your momma out to this nasty 'ole place?"

"Hey, Bo. I'm just doin' Ryan a favor. Makin' sure that his pay gets put in the bank before Boss closes for the day. Honestly, who would think that a bank would close before the end of normal business hours?"

"Ryan's lucky to work for you and Jebb. Not every boss would take their employee's pay to the bank for them. Though speakin' of weird hours, I'd better get into Boss's office with this mortgage payment. I wouldn't put it past him to close ten minutes early just so I can't give him the mortgage payment by three o'clock."

"You're probably right. Don't forget, we're all celebrating yours and Luke's freedom tomorrow night. We don't need to be movin' all of ya'lls stuff around instead just because you were a bit late with the payment."

"Ain't goin' ta happen. Be right back," Bo said with a grin.

Kira gave a small laugh as her brother gave the boys one last tickle before heading off towards Boss Hogg's office.

~01~

J.D. Hogg had been going over his books of his various business ventures when his private door to the back alley opened abruptly. Looking up, Boss caught sight of two men with guns as they barged in.

"WH-WH-What's goin' on? Who do you think you are barging in here like this?" Boss raised his hands in response to the guns.

"Hello, Hogg. Remember us?" Boss took in the appearance of the two men. One was short and straggly while the other was average height and had a bit of bulk to him. He gave them a confused look. No. He didn't remember them. "You double-crossed us after we agreed to do a job for you."

"Well, you're goin' ta hafta be more specific than that. I can't be expected to remember every single-"

"Four years ago, we were movin' a shipment for you through Chickasaw. Then you testified against us after you pressed charges for stealing your truck."

Boss's eyes lit up in recognition.

"Cl-Cl- Clint," Boss swallowed as he spoke in a small voice. "Vinnie. What do you want?"

"Well, first-" Clint was interrupted by the door swinging open as Bo strolled in. Clint and Vinnie turned so that their guns were hidden from view.

"Well Boss, here it is; and with nearly ten minutes to spare." Bo walked right up to the desk ignoring the two men that seemed to be here for a meeting with the commissioner.

"Bo, I ain't got time for you today. Come back tomorrow." Boss glanced nervously over at the two gunmen as he began to sweat.

"No, Boss. I ain't leavin' without the receipt. I ain't about to just let you get away with takin' our farm because you can't be bothered today." Bo crossed his arms as he looked down at the bald man.

Boss exchanged a look with the gunmen before grabbing his pen and receipt book and began to fill it out. "One of these days you're goin' ta hafta learn not to go stormin' off into folk's offices like this."

Bo eyed the two other men in the office before speaking to them, "Misters, if I's you, I wouldn't get tangled up with Boss. There have been an awful lot of folks to have lived to regret workin' with him."

"We'll keep that in mind," Clint muttered as Boss tore off the receipt and handed it to Bo.

"Alright, there you go. Now git!"

"Yes sir!"

Bo snatched the paper out of Boss's hand and headed out the door with a bit of a spring to his step. Looks like he got the better end of the bargain with Luke after all. Luke still had to load up the supplies that Uncle Jesse had called into Rhuebottoms while Bo had finished his part at the bank.

When Bo left, Clint aimed his gun back at Boss. "You'd better hope that no one else comes in here. Because the next person that strolls in is goin' to keep an appointment with the undertaker. Now, you and I have a few things to discuss."

"Clint, what about that no good Sheriff? He was involved with it too. You said that we'd take care of him, too."

"Patience Vinnie. We waited this long, we'll get him too."

Boss's eyes locked onto the guns that were trained on him as Clint and Vinnie moved over to him.

~01~

Kim watched as Bo greeted his sister and nephews and, despite her dislike for the man, had to admit that the kids seemed to love him. A bit of a far cry from how she'd expected him to react to the babies. Somehow she figured that he wouldn't want anyone that was cuter or got more attention than him around.

Shortly after Bo disappeared into Boss Hogg's office, it was finally Kim's turn at the teller's window and she got some cash out of her account since she was planning to go out of town for a couple of days. She was counting out her money before leaving; double checking in behind the teller just to make sure. By the time she was finished Bo was back out of the office and was talking to his sister and playing with the babies again as the bank was filled with the giggles of the twin boys laughing at their uncle.

"Bo, I hope that you checked that receipt that Boss gave you. I wouldn't put it passed him to put the wrong date or something on it. Making it where it's invalid," Kira warned since Boss was far from being her favorite person in the world.

"You know, I wasn't even thinking about that. He didn't even want to give me one in the first place. He was too busy with his latest cronies to be bothered." Bo pulled out the paper from his pocket and unfolded it. "Hey, this ain't right. And ain't like Boss."

"What's wrong?"

"Boss put that I gave him $505 instead of $300. Have you ever known Boss say that someone gave him more money than they really did?"

Kira grabbed the paper from her brother and look the slip over. "Boss must have been in a hurry. Those fives don't look much like fives."

Bo creased his brow as he took a second look at the receipt. After a second, Bo's eyes went wide and went running back to the office just as Rosco was seen balancing a tray of food while trying to open the door without spilling anything.

"Rosco! Wait!"

"Bo! What's wron-" Kira called to her brother as Rosco opened the door and everyone in the bank was greeted by sound of gunshots ringing out.

~01~

Luke was just coming out of the general store and figured that he might as well as walk next door to check in with Cooter to make sure that he was still planning to come out to the small party the next night to celebrate his and Bo's freedom from having Boss Hogg as a probation officer.

"Hey, Lukas Dukas! What's shakin'?" Cooter wiped his hands on a grease rag as he saw his friend walk over to the garage.

"I know that I ain't really got to ask this since free food is involved, but I'm makin' sure you're comin' over tomorrow."

"I'll be there with bells on. Somehow I didn't think you two would ever get off of probation. I think I'd better send out a warnin' to the rest of the Tri-County area. You two are about to be set loose on the rest of the state," Cooter said with a wide grin.

Luke laughed as his buddy tried to be funny. "Just wait until Bo-"

Luke stopped short as he heard the sound of gunshots ring out from the direction of the bank.

~01~

Kira instinctively bent to hover over the stroller as she anxiously looked in the direction of where her brother had gone. Both infants began to cry from the sudden noise of the gunfire and the screaming of the other patrons in the bank.

"Nobody move! Everyone stay right where you are!" Clint came out of the office, with J.D. held in front of them holding his hands up, still with their guns trained on the man in white. "I want everyone over at the safe. Nice and slow. Anyone tries anything and the fat man dies."

Kim tried to look past the gunman to see what had happened to Bo and Rosco but she couldn't see either man. That is until they came out with yet another gunman. It looked as if one man was holding the other up by their closeness to one another but she couldn't tell which man was hurt from the angle she was standing at.

"Shut those kids up!" Clint moved the gun in Kira's direction.

Kira had been trying to calm her sons down but the moment that the man turned his gun on them, her fear turned to anger. "Well I'm sorry! They ain't used to folks shootin' up the place and scarin' them half to death." Kira had fire in her eyes as she stared the first gunman down.

_'Kira. These men mean business. Calm down.'_ Bo hoped that his sister wouldn't go all Momma Bear on the gunmen. She needed to just worry about the babies. He'll worry about the gunmen.

"If you don't get those kids quiet, they'll have one more reason to be cryin''. They'll be screamin' for their momma." Clint gave a flick of his wrist as he spoke, "Everyone in the safe."

Kim was still watching the two men near the second gunman as the others in the bank began to make their way to the safe. When she saw them stumble, she ignored the gunmen and went to check on them since she knew that it was likely that one of them was seriously hurt.

"Not so fast! You stay over there," Clint said in a gruff voice.

"I'm a doctor. I only want to check on any injuries."

"You're a doctor?" Vinnie looked over at his partner. "Clint?" There seemed to be an unspoken question hanging in the air. Clint seemed to consider the silent request.

"Alright. Send the other man over with the others. Don't try nothin' funny, Doc. Otherwise; it'll be you that'll need a doctor."

Kira meanwhile was still trying to quiet the babies as she pushed the stroller towards the safe. As she was just outside the door, Jay slung his rattle as he was crying; still scared of the loud men who were hollering.

"Where are you hit?" Kim went over to Rosco as Bo helped him onto the ground.

"The right shoulder. Hurts like the dickens," Rosco said while Bo was shoved in the direction of the safe as Kim dug into her doctor's bag for a pain reliever.

"Get everyone on in there, Vinnie. And grab the money while you're at it. We're takin' Hogg and the sheriff with us. Looks like you just got yourself a free ride too, Doc. Get up. Let's go," Clint said while motioning for Kim to move with the gun.

Kim looked up as she saw that almost everyone was in the safe now. She tried to get Rosco on to his feet but he passed out, either from fear or pain. She wasn't sure which. Bo was still fairly close by and helped to stop Rosco from hitting his head as he went back down.

"Back with the others, Plowboy."

"She can't carry Rosco out. You'll either have to leave him here or let me carry him. That is unless one of you are goin' to put your guns down and carry him out yourself." Bo hoped that it wouldn't be the later. It really looked like Rosco was going to need to go to the hospital.

Clint looked back and forth among the people who had yet to enter the safe and to his partner. Things were not going the way he'd planned and they needed to get out of here before anyone realized what was going on. Plus they already had one extra prisoner than they needed, though he understood Vinnie's wanting to take her with them. He had plans of revenge for both of the men that he'd come to take and he didn't like the idea of letting the sheriff get off for what he'd done to him and his brother.

"Grab him and let's get goin'. No tricks or your dead. Understand? My beef ain't with you. Let's keep it that way."

"Yes sir." Bo bent and picked the older man up as Kim's eyes went wide at the fact that he'd just volunteered to go as a hostage. They clearly had plans for the other two men and were taking her along purely because she was a doctor (at least that's how it seemed since they'd been so interested when she'd said that she was a doctor). But Bo? If things went wrong, he'd just handed himself over as a sacrificial lamb; ready for the slaughter.

~01~

Luke got onto the CB to call Enos back to town then he and Cooter made their way across the street to the bank. When they crept up to the door they saw that the blinds were drawn. Luke tried the knob and found that the door was locked. Luke motioned to Cooter to indicate that they were going to check around back. Before they'd moved away from the door a black van went screeching around the corner at top speed.

Luke considered going after it but the General Lee was over a block away. Instead, Luke forced the door open to the bank. He knew that Bo was here last which meant that he was here when the gunshots were heard.

Once inside, Luke and Cooter were greeted by the sight of a deserted bank. There was no one in sight. There were purses from where women had dropped them on the floor and the tills were left open. Cooter and Luke searched the place but didn't find anyone. Over at the safe, Luke's eye caught something. He bent and picked up a rattle. He knew this one. Daisy had two specially made when Jebb and Kira had the boys.

"Cooter, we've got to get into the safe!"

~01~

Kira took both boys out of the stroller and tried to calm them both down as she bounced them in her arms.

_'Bo, what's goin' on out there?'_ Kira couldn't believe it when he'd gone out to help with Rosco.

_'We're in a van now. I'll try to figure out where they're goin'. Don't worry. Everything will be alright. I'll tell you where we are, then ya can tell the others where to come get us.'_

_'You figure that it's just goin' to be that easy huh?' _Kira asked doubtfully.

_'Course it will. You just take care of the boys. They sounded mighty upset still when the door closed. I think we're nearin' the town limits. I'll let you know where we go from here.'_

Kira looked around the safe and sighed. He would think that it would just be that easy wouldn't he. Well first someone will have to find the rest of them.


	14. Race Against Time

**Chapter 14: Race Against Time**

Kira sat on floor, still holding the twins in her arms. They'd both cried themselves to sleep and it seemed to have a certain effect on her as well. She would have expected that her adrenaline levels would have her wired right now but instead she was fighting back yawns just like everyone else in the safe was doing right now.

"I can't believe I'm so sleepy all of a sudden," Kira muttered mainly to herself.

Emery Potter, the mild-mannered teller pushed up his glasses and looked in her direction. "I suppose that this would be a bad time to mention that this safe is air tight, huh?"

That caught Mary Jo's attention, a short brunette whom Kira knew as one of Bo's ex's. Though to be honest, there weren't many women in Hazzard who hadn't dated at least one of the Duke Boys at one time or another. That fact sort of made Kira glad that she and Jebb hadn't decided to settle down in Placid where he'd grown up.

"You mean we're goin' to run out of air?"

Emery nodded as an answer to the question.

"With so many of us in here, the excess carbon dioxide must be why we're all gettin' sleepy."

Kira looked down at her sleeping boys, now wondering if they really had just cried themselves to sleep. She hugged them a bit tighter to herself hoping that someone would come for them soon. Before it's too late.

~01~

Cooter had his welding torch and was trying to cut through the thick metal of the safe doors when Enos came running in ready for action. Seeing what the mechanic was doing, he immediately asked why.

"We think that there's folks in there, Enos. I found Jay's rattle right outside the door when we came in. There ain't no way whoever had come in to rob the bank could have taken everyone with them. They must have locked them all in there," Luke said quickly.

"But Luke! If there is anyone in there, they'll suffocate!"

"That's why we're tryin' to get this tin can opened. Not only does it look like Kira and the babies were here when the bank was robbed, but Bo was too."

"I better go call the State Police, not to mention I'd better try to call the sheriff again. He didn't respond to the CB," Enos said in response to Luke's rundown to the situation.

"Luke, the integrity is startin' to give. We might be able to hammer through now," Cooter said as he pulled the torch away from the hot metal. Both he and Luke picked up the sledge hammers that they'd brought over from the garage and both started to take turns hitting the same spot in the door, trying to break through to the other side. While they were working on getting through the airlock, Jesse and Daisy came running in. They'd heard Luke's call to Enos, and then Enos's call to the State Police and had dropped everything to come to town.

Jesse watched on in trepidation, remembering from his own time while locked in the safe with J.D. that the air in the safe wouldn't last long. Looking around at the town's folk who had begun to congregate outside it was clear that Jebb was completely oblivious to the fact that his wife and kids were in trouble. Not to mention Bo. Otherwise he'd be here trying to claw his way through the locked doors himself; bare handed if he need be.

Jesse knew that he ought to go out to the farm and find Jebb but there was no way of knowing just where on his land he might be working today. Cooter and Luke continued their barrage on the safe door, neither slowing down. There was no telling just how many people were in the safe, but the more people, the less time was left before it was too late.

Jesse was beginning to despair for his family just as the battered metal at long last began to give. Finally, a dent could be seen to attest to the men's efforts to bust through. It seemed that the whole town as one began to hold their breath (as if by doing so they could save some air for their trapped neighbors) until they heard Cooter's voice holler out that they'd finally punctured the mantle of the safe. They weren't in yet, but at least it ventilated the safe a little, allowing a fresh supply of oxygen into the small prison. When Luke called in, he'd gotten no reply. He peeked in and saw about a dozen or so people lying on the floor of the safe. No movement at all.

Jesse pulled both men aside and forced them to sit down. Two other men took his and Cooter's places at the door, alternating between heating the door and trying to break it down.

"You two need to take a break. Let someone else do some work for right now. Daisy, go down to the diner and bring back some drinks for everyone."

"Yes sir, Uncle Jesse." Daisy headed on out to get the drinks.

Jesse was trying his best to hold himself together, for his nephew's sake. He knew that Luke had always seen himself as the family protector and the fact that something had happened to two of his cousins, as well as the youngests of the Duke clan, was likely to affect him greatly. Truth be told though, he was a nervous wreck. Maybe it was a good thing that Jebb was ignorant of the current situation.

Just as soon as they felt rested enough, both Luke and Cooter went back to take their places at the safe's door. Determined to bust through. Luke didn't like the fact that even with all of the noise that was being made, (enough to wake the dead) there had still not been any sound heard from the inside of the safe.

~01~

Meanwhile, Kim was doing her best to staunch the bleeding from Rosco's shoulder while bouncing around in the back of a van while it was barreling down the rutted roads of the county.

"Boss, give me your jacket. I need to tear some strips of cloth. Bo, I'm surprised that they left you your pocket knife. Cut the coat for me."

"Who said that you can cut my coat? Do you realize just how much money these suits cost me? Ah-uh. Isn't there some other way? I mean for you to ask for the coat right off of my back."

"Boss, I have to stop the bleeding. Then I'll have to immobilize his arm to keep him from causing more damage-"

"Not usin' my coat you don't. Isn't there something in that bag of yours to use?"

"Oh for Pete's sake." Bo took his shirt off and began to use his pocket knife to shred it. After getting a few strips together, he handed them to Kim. "Here. Use this."

Kim took the torn shirt and turned her attention back to her patient. Bo went to put his knife back into its holder on his belt when he thought better of it. Instead, he tucked it into his boot then he removed the holder from his belt and hid it in the medical bag.

"That bullet needs to come out too but we can't do that while we're going down the road at fifty miles an hour."

Bo watched as Kim kept working with Rosco, all the while trying to keep track of the turns that the van was taking. So far, he'd guessed that they were nearing the Tennessee border. He didn't think that the family had ever ran 'shine in this area; they were going in a little too far west for their old 'shine runs. Soon, the angle of the van shifted and told Bo that they were heading up into the mountains.

"Boss, do I even need to ask why these guys are so upset with you?" Bo asked sourly.

Boss looked away, not really wanting to look at the man who asked him the question. "They were business partners."

"Partners that you double-crossed?" Boss nodded. "And now they came to settle a score?"

"We're gonna die!" Boss began to whimper.

"No we ain't. We're goin' to be rescued. There ain't no way that I'm missin' the party tomorrow. I've waited a long time to get out from under your thumb. I plan to enjoy myself. And there ain't no one that's goin' to ruin it for me. You hear me, Boss. Have you ever known any of the Dukes to be in trouble without the rest finding them? Luke and the others will be coming and lucky for you, that means that they'll be coming for you too. Now, no more talk about dyin'."

Kim eyed the two men as they spoke. Boss had been getting close to a total breakdown, then Bo said a few words to him and he seemed to be able to cope just a bit better. And she thought that those two hated each other.

~01~

"Luke, it looks like we made it." Cooter slumped as Luke took one last swing with the sledge-hammer. The hole was now just big enough to slip through. Dropping the hammers, first Luke, then Cooter, the two men made their way into the safe. Luke took in the sight of the nearly a dozen people lying unconscious on the floor. And Bo wasn't one of them.

Cooter squatted next to the nearest person on the floor and checked for vital signs. There was a pulse. A slow one, but it was there. Looking up, he saw where Kira was leaning against the wall of the safe while holding both of the boys. He made his way over and checked the small family out.

"Luke, we better try to get everyone out where they can get some fresh air."

That brought Luke over and they each took a baby and went over to the opening in the door and passed them out to Jesse and Daisy. Next, Luke picked Kira up and carried her out to the main part of the bank while Cooter took up another victim and worked his way back out as well. The other men who had gathered also began to carry out the limp bodies of the bank patrons.

Doc Appleby began to go over each person to ensure that they were all alright. Slowly, they began to wake up with a start as they remembered the events of what had happened. Kira and the twins were among the last to wake up which was beginning to worry Jesse until he started to see his niece's eyes begin to flutter open.

"Welcome back, Baby Girl," Jesse said with relief as Kira began to stir. She started to look around in confusion as she tried to figure out where she was. When she noticed that she was in the bank, her eyes flew open as wide as she could as she went to sit up.

"My boys!" Kira tried to move the hands away as they were trying to push her back down.

"Take it easy. Daisy's got them and the Doc has already checked them out. They're just fine. Can you tell us what happened? Where's Bo?" Jesse asked, aware that Luke was already asking everyone else what they knew.

Kira began to tell her uncle what had happened (including Boss's SOS with the receipt), whispering Bo's plan to try to keep track of where he and the others were being taken. Jesse felt a surge of pride that his boy had acted so bravely at the same time cursing the foolishness of his plan. But he really couldn't have expected him to do anything else while others were in danger. Even those that he may not particularly like all that much at times.

~01~

Jebb and his farm hand, a young man fresh out of high school named Ryan, had been out mending some fences out on the fence line all afternoon but were finally loading up the tools into the back of the pickup. Jebb had wanted to get as much done today as he could since he knew that tomorrow was mainly a day to kick back and have fun. He'd already given Ryan the day off but had told him to feel free to stop by for the party. As the two men climbed into the truck, Jebb caught the tail end of a message over the CB.

_"That's right; we have four confirmed hostages with two known gunmen. They were last seen heading north out-of-town after they left the bank in a large black van. We have gotten everyone out of the bank's safe and everybody who were left behind are recovering just fine."_

_"Alright, Deputy. We've got men heading your way now to help with the search. Over and out."_

Jebb grabbed the CB mic as the trooper signed out. "Enos, what's goin' on?"

"_Jebb?"_

"What's this about hostages? And the bank? Kira and the boys were headin' to the bank earlier. Has somethin' happened to them? Are they alright?"

Jebb could feel panic starting to set in. He felt the same feelings that he had at the end of last year when Kira had been kidnapped and he didn't know where she and their unborn babies were. He'd come too close to losing all of them when Shawn Kyle had hired men to kill Kira along with the babies to keep a trust fund from going to them that Shawn's father had set up for any babies born within a ten year time frame after his death.

_"They're fine, Jebb. Last I saw, Jesse was taking them over to the garage. He'll fill you in when you get over there. But the boys and Kira aren't hurt. They were locked in the safe along with others at the bank when it was held up earlier. Like I said though, they are just fine. Jesse will fill you in once you get to town."_

Jebb leaned back in his seat as he let out a heavy sigh of relief. He wasn't sure if he could relive last year again. But they were okay. They were safe and with Jesse.

"Thanks, Enos."

Since everyone was okay, he went ahead and took Ryan back to the farm so that he could get his own truck and then Jebb made his way to town. When he pulled up at the garage he heard something that he wasn't used to hearing; his wife was arguing with their uncle.

"There ain't no reason that I shouldn't be out there looking for Bo, too!"

"I can think of two really good ones. Not to mention, I doubt that Jebb will like the idea of you goin' off either."

"You know that I have a much better chance at findin' Bo than the rest of you! I can't just sit back while the rest of you turn the countryside upside-"

"You'll do just that. This family don't need to have to go lookin' for you t-"

"Someone want to tell me just what's goin' on?" Jebb stood just inside of the doorway looking back and forth between the two as they seemed to be at a standoff.

"The bank was robbed; the crooks took J.D., Rosco, Kim Appleby and Bo," Luke answered his cousin.

"Bo!" That got Jebb's attention real fast.

"And Uncle Jesse thinks that I ought to just sit back and not do anything-"

"I didn't say that! I just don't think that you ought to go off trying to find him yourself. The rest of us will find him."

"How do you think that you're goin' to do that? The last Bo could tell they were at the Tennessee state line. I at least have a shot at knowin' where to go. That's more than the rest of you. Not to mention, you wouldn't dare tell Luke to stay behind, I don't think I should have to either." Kira glared at Jesse while putting both hands on her hips. She wasn't about to sit behind twiddling her thumbs while her brother was out there with at least two very dangerous men.

"Whoa! Wait a minute! How do you know that Bo's at the state line?" Cooter piped up from the other side of the room.

At that point, all of the Dukes exchanged looks with one another. Kira put her hand to the bridge of her nose. She'd forgotten that the old family friend was in the room. She had been so mad at being told to stay behind that she'd forgotten all else.


	15. It's Tough being a Gentleman

**Chapter 15: It's Tough being a Gentleman**

After what seemed like forever, the van finally came to a stop outside of an old abandoned warehouse building. By this time, Rosco was awake and was letting the other hostages know just how much pain he was in by his constant litany of the agony that he was in. All complaints, however, stopped just as soon as the door to the back of the van opened up and the two gunmen ordered them all out.

Bo had hoped to be able to get the drop on the two men once he was out of the van but quickly saw that just wasn't going to be possible. Another four men, all looking tough and oddly familiar, were waiting at the warehouse for Clint and Vinnie to return with their prize.

"Hey, what's this? We only wanted the pig and the hog. Who are these two?" Asked a big burly man as Bo and Kim climbed out of the van.

"We had a slight problem. We weren't exactly able to slip in and out of town unnoticed. The lady's a doctor; Vinnie wanted to bring her along. The rube volunteered to carry the Sheriff when he collapsed."

Bo scanned the men as they each measured up the new arrivals. There was something in the way that the big guy looked at Kim that unnerved him. Like he was undressing her with his eyes and couldn't wait to do the same with his hands. He took a step closer to her, eying a silent challenge to the man.

"Vinnie, you take the Doctor and do what you have to do. Derk, you and Gene take the rube to the old manager's office and hold him there. Tyler, you and Pete come with me as I take our other guests to their new temporary home."

Vinnie took Kim by the arm and started to pull her away as either Derk or Gene, Bo didn't know who was who, put a gun to his back and nudged him in the direction of the warehouse.

"Wait a minute! Why are you splittin' us up?"

Bo didn't like this. Even if he could find a way to escape, he couldn't do so if he didn't know where any of the others were at. Not to mention, the way the big guy was eying Kim, he didn't think she was going to be all that safe around here. If anyone looked at Daisy or Kira like that, he'd knock them flat on their backs.

"Don't worry, Plow Boy. Just as soon as Vinnie's done with your girlfriend there, you'll see her again." Meanwhile, Vinnie and Kim were already heading off around to the side of the building, nearly out of sight. Bo took a breath, trying to clear his head.

"What about Boss and Rosco? Why can't they stay?"

"Trust me son, you're not goin' to want any part of what's comin' their way. Like I told you at the bank; my beef ain't with you. Don't make me regret bringing you along more than I already do. By tomorrow night, if everything goes as planned, I'll release you and let you go back to your little hick town. Get him on inside."

Bo was then shoved in the direction of the warehouse's door. He looked around as he moved forward. Trying to find any clue that could tell him just where he was. He'd lost track of the roads sometime after they'd crossed into Tennessee. There must have been some new roads put in since the last time he'd driven in the area. Well let's face it; he hadn't exactly had a lot of opportunities to drive around on this side of the state line in a while.

_'Bo. I've got something to tell you. I think we're goin' to have to tell Cooter about us.'_

Bo then listened to his sister tell him about the scene at the garage.

_'You might as well as tell him. Besides, it's been need to know information with the family. Right now, he needs to know and he's as much family as just about anyone else anyway. Go ahead. Let me know when ya can talk though.'_

~01~

"You're joshin' me, right?" Cooter began to look from one Duke to the other, waiting for someone to say that this was some sort of a joke.

"No, Cooter. It seems to be hereditary. Our father had the same kind of link to Luke's. Though with the way we grew up separated, we kind of teetered between believing that we had an imaginary friend in the other or just plain thinking that we were crazy. But... well we never really did explain to you before just how we realized that we were twins after he found the news articles about my kidnapping. Now you know."

"Cooter, you understand that this is just between us, right? No one else can know about it." Jesse gave a stern look in the mechanic's direction.

"Shoot, I'd never tell no one. It's not like anyone would believe me anyway. So is this how you and Bo knew where to look for Kira back after Christmas? How you knew that she was up at the hunting lodge in Hatchapee?" Cooter asked Luke who nodded.

"And how Bo knew to head up the mountain instead of down when we got there after she escaped. Bo described it like he was playing _Hot and Cold_. He knew when we were heading in the wrong direction so we'd turn around, head off in another one."

Jebb frowned at the description; finding nothing about the search for his wife and kids resembling a game. He put an arm around Kira as he moved over beside her.

"Wait a minute; you said that it's hereditary. Does that mean that Jay and Mikey will be able to do all this like you and Bo can?"

"Lord, I hope not," Jebb muttered under his breath. Looking up, he realized he said it out loud. "Come on, they're Duke Boys. Imagine the kind of trouble they'll be able to get into without a psychic link. Throwing one into the mix...Uncle Jesse, how did Grandma and Grandpa handle Uncle Mike and Uncle Jeremiah?"

"With a tight hold on them and with a switch at the ready; the same way I raised Bo and Luke. They were bad enough as it was. I'm glad that they weren't twins." Despite the situation, Cooter and Luke chuckled at Jesse's comment.

"So now you see why I have to go to help with the search." Kira crossed her arms as she looked around to all of the men in the room. She knew that Daisy would be in her corner. She doesn't like being left out of things any more than she does.

Daisy picked Jay up and handed him a teether and spoke up. "She has a point fellas. If we want to get Bo and everyone else back as soon as possible, she's goin' to have to be the one to be out there lookin'. Plus Bo will be able to tell her clues to look for, too."

Jebb creased his forehead as he thought about what they were going to have to do. Luke and Jesse were both still trying to come up with a way to keep Kira home, which meant that she'd be safe. Something that he wanted to do himself. But he knew his wife better than that. Breathing out a heavy sigh of defeat, Jebb interrupted the other men.

"You promise to at least hang back once we get to where Bo and the others are being held?" Luke looked at his cousin as if he'd just lost his mind. "She's goin' to go either way. If we leave her behind, she'll just go on without us." Jebb said hating that she was just as stubborn in some ways as any other Duke. Of course she has just as much Duke blood in her veins as the rest of them. He turned back to his wife before adding, "Promise or you're stayin' behind. Even if I have to tie you down. And you know that I'd do it, too." Kira fought the urge to argue about the notion that she'd needed to stay back where it's safe. She'd won half the fight. For right now that will be enough. After Kira nodded Jebb turned back to Daisy, "Will you watch the boys, Days?"

"Sure thing." She wanted to go too, but if it was either her or Kira, she knew that Kira should go.

"Well, let's go. We'll go together in the General. When we find them, we'll radio for help to the cops." Luke headed on over to the door as both of the parents stopped real quick to hug the babies and Jebb ruffled both blond mops of hair.

"Ya'll be careful. I'll go check on Lulu to see how she's holdin' up. I saw a group of ladies taking her back home after the safe was opened," Jesse said as he headed toward the door as well.

"We will," Cooter said for the Duke Cousins. He hopped into the car after Jebb and Kira got on into the back seat. Luke was already shifting gears and ready to pull away from the garage as Cooter slipped through the window.

~01~

Kim wasn't sure where she was being taken now. Once she and Vinnie had gotten around to the other side of the warehouse, he'd taken her over to a car. He had her get in and then they headed away from the small gravel lot that the car had been parked in. Kim stayed as close to the door as she could, unsure of why she was alone with the gunman now or what she should do.

"Where are we going?" Kim eyed the gun that was barely concealed by the jacket that Vinnie was wearing.

"I have a patient that I want you to see." Kim's brows jumped at the statement. The rest of the drive went by in silence and soon the car pulled up at a small broken down house. "When we go in, I want you to behave. She don't know nothin' about what's goin' on. I don't want to upset her. Understand?"

Vinnie got out of the car and grabbed the doctor's bag that Kim had been carrying and had her to get out of the car. Kim nodded then followed Vinnie on into the house. Once inside, she saw that another man, a little younger than Vinnie, was sitting in the small living room with an older woman. When Kim and Vinnie walked into the house, both strangers looked up.

"Belinda! What took you so long? I told Vinnie and Plas that you'd come back. Come over and let me take a look at you." Kim glanced over at Vinnie before going over to sit beside the older woman.

"Things came up. I'm here now. Is anything wrong?"

"Oh, no. Nothin's wrong, Baby. I've missed you so much," the old woman said as she motioned for a hug.

Vinnie came over and stood nearby and whispered a few things to his little brother before speaking up. "Belinda went off and became a doctor, Momma. She's goin' to check ya out." He handed the bag to Kim who nodded her understanding.

"A doctor! My! Who would have thought that my baby girl would end up being a doctor?"

"I'm full of surprises, Momma." Kim started to give Vinnie's mother a check-up, including some basic competency questions. The best Kim could figure, the woman was living in a world from thirty years ago. "I'll be right back. I'm going to go get you a drink from the kitchen. Okay, Momma?"

"Such a good daughter."

Plas eyed his brother as he and the lady doctor went into the kitchen.

"Is there a particular reason why you wanted me to see your mother?"

"Well, I was hoping that you could get her that medicine that another doctor told us about."

"Medicine?"

"Doc Crowly said that he had something that he could give her. Something that would make her normal again. He just said that it was expensive. After tomorrow, Clint and I will have the money for it."

"Vinnie, there isn't any medicine that can cure your mother," Kim said reluctantly. She knew that it was often difficult for families of dementia patients to accept when their relatives started to live in worlds of their own.

"You're wrong! Doc Crowly swore that he could help her if we just had the money. But he took off after Clint and I were arrested with Boss's 'shine. We've tried to find him again now that we're out but can't. So you're goin' to give her that medicine instead."

"Vinnie, listen to me. I'm afraid that Doc Crowly was a charlatan. A fake. There are a lot of them out there that promise miracle cures, always claiming that they can help, for the right amount of money. But there isn't a cure at all. They take as much money as they can before moving on," Kim said while staring at Vinnie's eyes trying to show him her sympathy.

"So there isn't anything that can be done? She's gonna stay... But I told Plas that he wouldn't have to watch her for much longer. She wanders off and it's been tough on him."

"How long has she been like this?"

"Over twenty years, almost thirty."

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to Belinda? That seems to have been the trigger to her break from reality."

"We all went for a ride down the river, we were all just kids. She fell overboard. Couldn't swim a lick, neither. I don't even think that they ever found her."

Kim nodded her understanding. Yes, that could send a woman out of her mind, literally.

She went back out to the living room and continued to visit with the older woman, still allowing her to call her Belinda, and had found it a little too easy to forget the fact that she was actually a hostage. When she and Vinnie got up to leave, his mother made them both promise that they'd come back the next day. Vinnie promised, then escorted Kim back out to the car.

"Thanks. I didn't realize that she was goin' to latch onto you like that. That was nice of you," Vinnie said as he started the car.

"No problem. Can I ask you something? You said back when you were talking about the phony doctor that you and Clint would have plenty of money for the medicine by tomorrow. How do you plan to do that? You were talking like it would be a lot of money."

Vinnie eyed Kim from behind the wheel before answering her. "When Clint and I were sent up after Boss double crossed us, we learned that we weren't the only ones that he'd done that to. A lot of guys in there swore that they'd give anything to get even with him." Vinnie stopped as he reconsidered what he was telling the doctor in the passenger's seat. "We're just goin' to give them a chance at it. For a price."

"You're selling the chance to get even with Boss? Like an auction?"

"Seems only fair. He's made a lot of money using folks like us. It only makes sense that Clint and I get to use him to make some money of our own."

"What are they going to do to him?" Kim asked in concern for the large, over-sized commissioner.

"Don't know, don't care. Not my concern. Enough questions. It's time to get back. Clint won't like it if we're gone too long."

~01~

Bo sat on the floor of the old private office that he'd been taken to be held. He knew that the big guy (Derk) that had been eying Kim earlier was posted outside of the door. Bo wondered if he was only staying by the door while waiting for the only female prisoner to be brought back to the warehouse. When Bo was brought in, he was surprised that the office even had its own bathroom. That must be why this room had been chosen as the prison cell. The guards won't have to worry about possible escapes during trips to use the facilities.

Some sandwiches had been left by the door, supper apparently, but Bo hadn't touched them yet. It seemed like forever since he'd been brought in. There was nothing to do but look at the blank walls while in the old office. At least he could talk to his sister, preventing him from going crazy while trying to figure out how to keep tabs on everyone if he was locked away in a windowless room.

"Alright, in ya go." Bo looked up to see Vinnie opening the door and leading Kim into the office. As she walked in, Kim noticed that there wasn't a stitch of furniture in the room, and went to sit up against the opposite wall as Bo. "There will be someone by the door all night long so don't get no ideas about skippin' out. See ya in the morning."

With that, Vinnie closed the door as he left the room. Leaving Bo and Kim alone in their cell.

"Are you alright?" Bo asked as the silence became unbearable.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Bo just sort of shrugged. "Where'd short and stupid take you?"

"He needed me to check in with a patient... His mother."

"You're kiddin'?" Bo was surprised at the thought that these guys' mothers could be close by and they'd still be holding folks at gun point.

"Nope. Then when I got back they had me check in on Rosco. He's not doing so well. Infection has started to set in. He needs that bullet out and some antibiotics."

"Did you get a good look around? Did you see any signs?" Bo asked which caused Kim to think hard on her drive to and from the warehouse.

"Only one and it was only a partial one at that. I think it read Collierville. The sign said that it was about thirty miles west of here."

Bo hadn't heard of Collierville but at least he could pass on what little he knew to Kira and the others to help send them in the right direction. Kim went on to tell Bo about the auction planned for the next day as well.

Bo grimaced. Boss had double-crossed a lot of people over the years. Now it looks like they'll get a chance to pay him back and they will be fighting for that chance. Things didn't look good for the greedy commissioner.

The two ate the small amount of food that had been left while they discussed the crooks plans for revenge as well anything else that Kim could remember from her drive to the house that Vinnie had taken her to. Eventually though, it was getting late and it was time to try to get some sleep. Bo hoped that rescue wouldn't be far away but knew that he needed to be ready to help when it did get here.

Glancing toward the door, Derk would be a problem. He knew that the man was likely still out there. Sighing in frustration, Bo got up and went over toward where Kim was at trying to get comfortable on the floor to try to get some sleep.

"Move over against the wall," Bo said gruffly.

"What are you doing? Get back on your own side of the room. It's bad enough that we have to-"

"Look! In case you didn't notice, that big guy has a major hard on for you. I wouldn't put it past him to come in here for you while we're asleep."

"Oh come on, don't be so dramatic." Kim rolled her eyes.

"Kim, these guys ain't likely to care if you want them around or to touch you. Between the fact that it doesn't look like any of them has been out of prison for long and the fact that when you ain't talkin' you can almost pull off being attractive, they've been eyin' you like they're starved men and you are an eight course meal."

"Ooh! High praise from the great Bo Duke. And you're going to protect me I suppose? Isn't that like having the fox guardin' the hen house?"

"Listen, Sweetheart, I don't have to force any woman to sleep with me. Now my Uncle Jesse raised me right, and that means that I have to try my best to keep you safe. And right now, that means staying between you and the Incredible Hulk standing right outside of the door. You hear me? So scoot over," Bo said as he glared at the female doctor. Why couldn't she do just one thing he asked without fighting him on it?

Kim eyed Bo then glance toward the door. She hadn't thought about what Bo had just alluded to. She'd been concentrated on the guns earlier, not the men. Then she just noticed that Bo was crowding her space, not really thinking that he might have a good reason. Reluctantly, Kim slid over with her back to the wall and rested her head on her arm.

Bo collapsed onto the floor next to the lady doctor and tried to get comfortable next to her. This wasn't exactly the night that he'd been hoping for. As of midnight tonight, he was a free man and he hadn't been planning on celebrating by sleeping next to a woman who he couldn't even enjoy doing so with. Sometimes, it can be tough trying to be a gentleman like his Uncle Jesse had taught him to be.


	16. Unlikely Ally

**Chapter 16: Unlikely Ally**

"Well, we'll need to stop and get a map then to find out where this Collierville is then. We also need to call Uncle Jesse and check in," Luke said from behind the wheel.

"And talk to Daisy to check in on the boys," Kira added from the back seat.

"I'll call her while Luke gets the map. I hope Uncle Jesse's alright. I kinda feel bad. All of us are here and he's left behind to handle the chores alone."

"And knowin' him, he'll do all of them himself at both farms without askin' for help if we don't head back." Luke breathed out a frustrated breath. Fully aware that his uncle wasn't a young man anymore but also wanting to continue in the direction that his cousin was in before the last of the daylight slipped away.

Luke pulled into the next gas station to buy a map, figuring that they could wait to use Kira's link to Bo once they were closer. Using the map, they could try to figure out the way that the bank robbers would have taken to their hideout. Meanwhile, Jebb went over to the pay phone and called his house, knowing that Daisy would have gone there with the boys.

_"Duke Farm, Daisy Duke speakin', honey."_

"Days, how's the boys doin'?"

_"Jebb, them boys are fine. They ain't happy about takin' a bottle for their feedin' but they'll get over it."_

Jebb smirked at the comment; he bet that Kira hadn't really thought much about nursing the boys when she set her foot down on going out to look for Bo.

"I think that you'll end up with a vocal evenin' until we can get back. Where's Uncle Jesse? We don't want him tryin' to handle all of the chores on his own. We'll head bac-"

_"Now that's somethin' that I wanted to talk to you about. I don't know what you're payin' Ryan, but I think he needs a raise. By the time I got out here with the boys, he'd already heard about what was goin' on, got a couple of his brothers together and took care of the afternoon chores at both farms. He's outside now takin' care of the evenin' chores. Even said to tell ya that he'll take care them tomorrow, too."_

"Why ain't I surprised? I'll have to thank him when we get back."

_"At least you won't have to worry about things back here. You just find Bo and the others. We'll handle everything else. Where are you right now anyway?"_

"We just pulled into a gas station to get a map. We think that they are about thirty miles east of Collierville. Luke is inside while I got on the phone. Bo told Kira that he learned that a bunch of Boss's old cronies that he'd double crossed are all meeting tomorrow to auction him off to see who will get revenge on him. That means we're racing against time now to find them before it's too late."

_"You make sure that Luke stops to eat and sleep. You know how he is. You'll have to force him to stop so that he don't wear himself out. Kira's likely goin' to be the same way."_

"I think you're right. I'd better make sure that we find a hotel soon since we ain't got to head back to Hazzard tonight. It's already well after supper. Even Cooter hasn't mentioned food so I guess that means even he isn't thinking along the lines of taking care of himself, neither."

_"Sugar, you'd better get behind the wheel before Luke gets done in the station. That way you have a better chance at gettin' him to stop for the night."_

Jebb eyed the car before responding, "Too late. Thanks, Days, for watchin' the boys. Let Uncle Jesse know I called. I'll let ya know if Bo tells Kira anything else tonight."

Jebb hung up and headed back to the stock car and slipped in through the back window. He told everyone inside that the chores were all done, and that they could go a little further before stopping for the night. He made sure that he emphasized the stopping part.

"There's a sign for a diner and a hotel up ahead. We can grab a bite and get a couple hours of sleep," Cooter said as he stared at the signs on the road.

"We should keep goin'. Kira, how's Bo?" Luke asked.

"Asleep. He drifted off nearly an hour ago, Luke." Kira wanted to keep going as much as Luke but she was getting tired. She'd already had to fight off sleep while feeling the sway of the car from the back seat several times. She was currently curled up next to her husband in the back of the orange stock car barely awake.

"Luke, I hate to tell ya this, but I think that Jebb's right. We need to stop for the night." Cooter tried to persuade his friend from the passenger's seat.

"The next town. We'll stop at the next town."

As the foursome continued to the next town they had kept up a steady stream of conversation to help everyone stay awake. Cooter was still curious about the link that Duke twins had so that became the main topic of the night.

"I have one more question. Especially after what happened at the beginning of the year. Why haven't you and Bo tried to practice with ya'lls link to be ready, just in case you needed it again?"

"And how were we supposed to do that? Play hide-and-seek in the woods between the farms?" Kira asked slightly amused with the idea.

Despite himself, the image made Luke give a slight chuckle. "Why not?"

"Luke! We're pushing thirty! We'd look awful silly running around shouting out _Olie, olie, oxen-free_!"

"You wouldn't have to do that, Kira," Luke said as all three men got a mental image of the twins doing just that.

"That's right, Babe. You only holler that out if you give up." Jebb tried to stop his laughing as his wife eyed him.

"And Dukes don't give up." Luke finished from behind the wheel. Kira rolled her eyes at the idea. "Come on, think about it. How do you think our daddies learned how to use their link? They grew up together. What type of games do kids play?"

"And since you two didn't grow up together, ya'll didn't get the same experience that they did." Cooter picked up Luke's line of thinking. "Well, considering the luck that this family has, you two may want to think of something. A stronger link definitely would have helped out when you were kidnapped."

"I'll give you that one at least. Being down in that root cellar wasn't exactly my idea of fun."

Jebb pulled Kira a bit closer as she spoke. He would have liked being able to have brought her back home sooner as well. He'd nearly lost it when he didn't know where she was for so many days.

"Luke, pull up at that diner up ahead. If we don't now, we might not get another chance before they all close. We'll get back out on the road first thing in the morning."

Luke reluctantly pulled over after Jebb pointed out yet another diner with a nearby hotel. It looked like he wouldn't be able to get to his cousin tonight after all.

~01~

Kim began to slowly wake up and snuggled a bit closer to the warm body next to her. She hadn't woken up next to anyone else in a long time. Not since her divorce. When she moved her hand and she felt the feel of flesh beneath it, Kim opened her eyes and jerked awake when she realized that she had been pressing herself up against Bo Duke. She slid back away from him and tried to look around in the dark office. Her sleep fogged mind was confused and couldn't figure out why she was waking up on the floor next to a shirtless Duke Boy.

Slowly, the events of the previous day started to come back to her as she remembered the hold up at the bank. As well as Bo offering to carry Rosco, the drive out to the old broken down house, the warehouse, and finally Bo claiming that he needed to stay between her and the guard outside of the door.

"My protector," Kim smirked as she observed just how much of a sound sleeper that Bo seemed to be. He hadn't stirred one bit as she moved away from him. Kim sat up and watched him sleep for a bit since there wasn't anything else to do. After a while, she got up and headed to the bathroom to take care of business. She was cleaning up when the door opened up. "Would you wait just a sec-"

Kim stopped in mid-sentence when she turned and saw that it wasn't Bo standing in the door.

~01~

The small search party was back out on the road just as soon as the diner opened the next morning for breakfast. Afterwards Kira called home to check on the twins. She hadn't thought that her first night away from her sons would be so tough. Of course she knew that it was rough on Jebb, too; even if he wouldn't admit it. Luke had asked about Bo the moment he saw Kira after she and Jebb had joined him and Cooter down by the car as they each got ready to face the day of searching for the stolen Duke. When Kira realized that Bo was still asleep, she reluctantly agreed to wake him up.

_'Bo-Bear. Rise and Shine. It's time to wake up.'_

_'What time is it?'_

_'Nearly seven.'_

_'How far awa- Dang it! Hold on!'_

~01~

Bo had reluctantly answered his sister when she called out to him. He hated mornings and she knew that. In fact, she was less of a morning person than he was. As he spoke with her though, he realized that Kim wasn't in the room anymore. Hearing movement, he realized that she was in the bathroom. It was only a fraction of a second later that he realized that she wasn't in there alone.

He bolted up and pulled the door open and found Derk pulling at Kim's clothes as he was pushing her up against the sink. Bo rushed the man and swung at Derk. He was solid and barely moved. He did let go of Kim but she was still trapped in the bathroom as both men began to fight one another; blocking the door in the process.

Derk pummeled Bo but he gave one heck of a fight. He met Derk's blows with his own and stayed on fairly even fighting ground. That is until Derk pulled out a switchblade and swiped at Bo, grazing his chest in the process. Bo kicked at the knife with his boot and sent it out of the small room. Derk then rushed Bo, knocking him back out of the bathroom.

Kim watched as the two men continued to trade punches as they rolled around on the floor. Suddenly, the outer door opened to both Vinnie and Clint who then rushed to separate the two men.

"Hey, what's goin' on?!" Vinnie asked. He'd come to retrieve the doctor to take her back out to visit his mother. After all, he promised her that Kim, or Belinda, would be back today. When he grabbed Bo he dropped Kim's medical bag that he'd brought in with him.

"Just comin' to get what was mine. Farm Boy had a problem with it," Dirk grunted.

"What do you mean? You were only supposed to watch the door. You weren't supposed to come in! Especially not to go after the girl!" Vinnie said appalled.

"Hey, what's this? We had a deal!" Derk spun around to glare at Clint.

"Clint?" Vinnie, too, looked to Clint as he released Bo and sent him toward Kim who was standing in the bathroom doorway.

"Outside," Clint said to both of his co-conspirators. Vinnie eyed Derk and then his brother. He didn't like the sound of what was going on. Vinnie turned to Kim and told her to tend to Bo's cut across his chest and then went out with the other men.

Kim took up her bag and dug through for some ointment for the cut. Most of her supplies had been used for Rosco but fortunately it didn't look like the cut on Bo's chest was very deep. It wouldn't even need stitches. Knowing Bo's phobia of needles, that was a good thing. Kim applied the antiseptic to the gash as carefully as she could, though she still heard Bo inhale with a hiss as it stung.

"Thank you." Two simple words. It looked like Bo was right to be concerned for her last night. Bo just nodded a quick acknowledgement but didn't say anything. Kim continued to clean and treat the cut that went across Bo's chest in silence until she was done. As she put the cleanser and ointment away she spoke up again. "You were right. Your uncle did raise you right."

"He'll be glad to hear that." Bo eyed the door as he heard shouting from the hall. He couldn't understand what was being said but it had looked like short and stupid hadn't been too happy with the Hulk. "You must have made an impression on the one guy. Sounds like he's takin' up for you out there."

Kim followed his eyes to the door. "Looks like."

Standing next to the man that she'd fought with for as long as she could remember, Kim felt a little strange. Come to think of it, she couldn't even remember why they always seemed to fight. Even as kids, it has just been something that they'd always done.

"I hope that your new friend can keep the others at bay until help comes."

"What makes you so sure that it will? I mean, no one would even have a clue where to come find us?" Kim didn't really hold much hope out for a rescue. She'd never had one so far in life. It didn't look like today would be any different.

"You've been away from Hazzard too long. Dukes are always able to find one another if they really need to. Help is on the way. It's just a matter of time, Kim." Bo couldn't tell her that he knew for a fact that help was coming for them since he'd told them everything he knew. Instead he tried to change the subject. "Can I ask you something? After all of this time, why'd you come back to Hazzard?"

Kim lowered her eyes before answering, "It's personal… You sure have a lot of faith in your family, Bo."

"They ain't ever let me down before. In fact-" Bo stopped when the door opened once again.

"Grab your bag and let's go. Time to make rounds." Vinnie directed to Kim as he kept one eye on Derk.

Bo made a move to try to block her way out but Kim put a hand on his arm and squeezed. Derk would probably love an excuse for pounding him again, and he had a weapon and was willing to use it. Kim did as she was told and went to stand beside Vinnie, as far away from Derk as she could. Right now, Vinnie certainly seemed to be the lesser of the two evils.

After Vinnie left with Kim, Derk gave one last verbal parting shot. "Hey, Duke. Good news. When some of the others found out that you were here, they got excited. Looks like many of them are nearly as angry at you and your family as they are with Hogg. I'm sure that you'll be nearly as popular at the auction as him and the sheriff. Of course I think your girlfriend there will probably draw the most interest. What do you think? Does she like it rough?"

Derk laughed as he closed the door and heard Bo try to charge the door.

~01~

Jo eyed the clock as she waited for the timer to go off. This was the second pregnancy test that she's had to take after going to Hazzard the last time. The first one was negative but she still hasn't had her period so once again she was stuck waiting for a buzzer to sound to tell her that ten minutes were up so she could go read a stick. Stephanie had called her this morning so she was talking to her as she waited.

_"If the test is positive, are you going to make Duke take responsibility? Seems like he should."_

"What do you mean **he** should? Seems to me that if I got pregnant, the bulk of the responsibility should fall on me. Especially after my first scare before going down to Georgia the last time. I should have gone on birth control before I went back. I mean, it's not like I thought that Lukas was planning for us to play scrabble the whole time I was down there. Not when he planned the get away at the cabin. If I'm pregnant, it's my own fault."

_"Come on, Jo. The guy has to have some responsibility in it doesn't he?"_

"Yes, but I haven't ever been able to stand women that use sex to trap a man into marriage. They go and get themselves knocked up and force a man into marriage even though they know that if it wasn't for the kid they would have never have gotten together. I'm not about to end up in a marriage with someone who only married me because I was too stupid to go on the pill and got knocked up. If I'm pregnant, I'll figure something out, but I am not going to marry a man that doesn't love me. Especially Lukas. It wouldn't be fair."

_"How do you think he'll handle that? Aren't country boys raised to 'Do the right thing'? What'll happen when he doesn't like whatever arrangement you figure out?"_

Jo looked up at the sound of the buzzer as she answered, "Well let's see if I have to worry about that."

Jo put the phone down and headed off into the bathroom and picked up the test and let out a sigh of relief. No doubt about it. Before she goes back to Hazzard the next time, she'll need to make an appointment with the doctor to go on birth control. She didn't like having to sit around waiting to see if she'd just complicated her life more than she was ready for.

~01~

On the drive back to the warehouse, Vinnie stopped at a crossroads thinking to himself. He looked over at the woman beside him. Derk was waiting for her just as soon as they got back. And he probably wasn't the only one. All of this was supposed to just be about getting even with Boss. Now things have taken on a life of their own. There were some things that he'd not have any part of. Clint will be mad, but he'll just have to live with it.

"Get out," Vinnie finally muttered.

"What?" Kim asked surprised.

"I said get out. Before I change my mind. If you take the road to the right, a small township is just about five miles down the road. You'll be able to find a police station and get help once you're there."

"What about you? What's going to happen when you get back without me?"

"Don't worry about me. Now get out." Vinnie turned in his seat and saw that Kim was frozen to her seat, not sure what she should do. "I said get out!"

Vinnie shouted a bit more harshly than he needed to as he reached past Kim and opened the car door and started to push her out of the car.

Kim stumbled out of the car and turned around to watch as Vinnie and his car pulled away and headed back toward the warehouse. After the car was out of sight she headed off in the direction that he'd indicated to her to go for help. If she was lucky maybe she could still stop the auction scheduled for today.


	17. The Rescue

**Chapter 17: The Rescue**

After having turned around, because Kira had said that she thought that they'd overshot where Bo was at, the small group had come to a tiny town and stopped for gas. Kira was worried after Bo told her about the scene from this morning. Now Bo would be going up on the auction block, too. After some of the plans that the Dukes had ruined, Kira was sure that they each had more than a fair amount of their own share of enemies out there. Not to mention, even Kim was scheduled to have her own time in front of the men gathered. She shuddered at the thought.

When the group stopped, Kira had gotten out to stretch her legs and was walking around the small station as Luke was asking the attendant if there were any old warehouses in the area. Kira looked down the street towards the small main street and watched as the people of the town went about their everyday lives totally oblivious that somewhere nearby, a group of crooks were gathering to compete for a chance to kill their hostages (among other things).

Looking down the street, Kira thought that she saw a familiar brunette heading into the police station. Her eyes widened as she took off in that direction. Leaving the men in her group behind, Kira went into the police station to find Kim trying to explain to the bored deputy behind the desk what had happened in the last twenty-four hours and what was going to happened very soon if he didn't help her.

"Kim?" Kira opened the door and saw the other woman trying to get the deputy to believe her. "Kim! Where's Bo?" Kira rushed over to the doctor.

"Kira? What are you doing-? How did you get here?" Kim whirled around when she heard Kira call her name.

"We were trying to track ya'll down. About Bo, can you tell me where he is?"

"He's-" Kim started only to have the deputy chime in.

"Wait a minute. You mean that the story that this little lady just told me is true?" The deputy spoke up from behind the desk.

"Of course it's true. Did you really think I came in here just to pull your leg? Now come on. You have to get some help. I'm not sure how many have showed up for the auction, but they are all dangerous men. Not to mention, one of the hostages needs to go to the hospital," Kim said emphatically.

~01~

Bo sat in the office as he waited for Kim to be brought back to the warehouse. After this morning though, it would be better if she could find a way to escape. He hated to think about what was bound to happen just as soon as she was back. And he doubted that there would be anything that he could do to prevent it this time, either.

"Alright, Rube. Stand up." Derk came in with three other men; all were packing even though none of them actually had their guns drawn. Bo eyed the men and stood up. Two of the men came over to him, one with a length of rope and Bo quickly found his hands tied in front of him. "I think I'll have you go up right after your girlfriend. You might as well as have a good front row seat of what's goin' to happen to her." Derk gave an evil smile as Bo glared at him. "You'll like that won't 'cha? You'll get to see how real men treat a woman."

"You ain't no real man. A real man ain't got to force a woman. And they don't sell them to the highest bidder to take turns, neither." Bo practically spat out the words at the giant that was taunting him.

"As soon as she gets back with Vinnie, she'll have more men than she'll know what to do with waiting for their turns with her. Then you'll get a lesson on how real men handle their women. None of that coddling that wimps like you tend to do. You have to make sure a woman knows her place; under a man." Derk laughed as he saw the fire burn brighter in the younger man's eyes.

Bo was about to spit out another come back when he came up short. Taking in a deep breath, he listened to his sister's voice in his head. Derk and the others were going to be in for a big surprise. And he was right. Bo was looking forward to having a front row seat for it.

~01~

Luke and the other men joined the police in the station as they started to plan their raid on the warehouse. The cops hadn't been too happy that the civilians had insisted that they join in but considering that it seemed that they were outnumbered and any other law enforcement were too far away to really be of help soon, they reluctantly accepted the help from the Dukes. After calling Hazzard having Enos confirmed that they have helped the local department often and that he felt that it would be best to include the Dukes in any plan since they were likely to be there anyway. One way or another.

Reluctantly, Kira took Kim aside and found someplace _safe_ to hang back. Jebb was serious that she'd keep her promise about staying away from the action like he'd made her agree to before leaving Hazzard. After Kim had told the men everything that she knew, including telling them about how Vinnie had released her to go and get help, Kira took her to the small cafe across the street to get her something to eat.

When Kira had passed word onto Bo about Kim, he'd been relieved to hear that she wouldn't be coming back to the warehouse. He'd also agreed that he didn't want Kira coming neither. Not with the plans that they'd had for Kim. Bo didn't want to think about what would happen if Kira came out and they caught her.

Being outnumbered by all of the men, plus being held to her promise to her husband, Kira watched as the rescue team headed out of town heading in the direction of the warehouse. With nothing else to do, Kira called home, knowing that both Daisy and Jesse were waiting for any word since the group had called home hours ago after breakfast. Kira figured that there needed to be as many people as they could get to start praying that everything will work out fine.

~01~

Derk pushed Bo into the huge storage area that had been designated for the auction. He was looking forward to not only seeing the farm boy squirm, but the man who had double-crossed him and sent him to prison as well. Even if it wasn't by his own hand, the fat man and his stooge were finally going to get what was coming to them.

Of course with the way the sheriff looked, all anyone will need to do would be to sit back and do nothing. Plenty of revenge against the man was already being carried out by the slow suffering he was going through. Derk was practically drooling at the excitement of the day. When he saw Clint and Vinnie arguing near the makeshift stage, Derk left his bound prisoner with the other men and headed over.

"What's goin' on? Where's the poon?" Derk asked when he noticed that while all of the male prisoners were now gathered together, not to mention she had last been seen with Vinnie, the lone female prisoner was nowhere to be seen.

"She got away," Clint replied through gritted teeth.

"She what?" Derk turned on the man that had been responsible for her.

"She got out of the car near the old mining town. Jumped out and headed left at the crossroads and disappeared into the woods. I couldn't find her again when I went after her. Figured I should come back so we could all get out of here before she gets help."

Vinnie figured that his story would be believable enough. He'd hoped that no one would go looking for the doctor but that was why he gave the wrong directions just in case. Plus he had waited nearly an hour before returning to the warehouse after he'd left her on the side of the road. Now if he could just get his brother to agree to leave with him before the police showed up.

"You stupid idiot!" Derk made a move to attack Vinnie when Clint stopped him.

"We still have the others, but we need to move just in case she's able to remember how to get back here. Go pull the van around. We have to get out of here."

Derk glared at the dummy who had been too stupid to hold onto one small woman and vowed that as soon as they got out of here, he'd pay for his carelessness. Instead of saying anything, he went to get Tyler as they went to get the van. He'd drive these prisoners himself. They weren't going to get away like the slut.

~01~

"How's everyone back in Hazzard?" Kim asked as Kira came back to the table in the small cafe after she'd gotten off of the phone with Jesse.

"Still worried. But they are glad that you got away. And that you weren't hurt none."

"Yeh, well, Bo takes the credit for that last part. I can't believe the way he fought off the one guy," Kim said as she remembered her brush with Derk this morning.

"Bo's just that kind of guy. He'd never sit back and just let someone else suffer without trying to stop it. Sort of like when he jumped in at the bank."

"So I see. He keeps surprising me. That's for sure."

"Kim, there's one thing I have to ask. I'm sure that if Bo and I had grown up together, I would know this, but why are you two always sniping at one another?" Kira had to ask since she'd been wondering about that ever since the other woman had come to town.

Kim thought about the question, "I don't know. We've fought since before we went to school together. I can't remember a time that we have ever gotten along."

"Really?" Kira figured that if she couldn't go and help get Bo back with the others, she might as well as feed her curiosity about her brother's rivalry with the woman in front of her. "Why do you think that is?"

"I'm not sure. It's just... Have you ever met someone who always seemed to know just what buttons to push to totally irritate you?"

"Just one." Kira smiled. "I once met this one guy that was too outspoken, too sure of himself, he was a fast talkin', skirt chasin', playboy and was just as stubborn as I was. I couldn't stand him."

"Sounds a lot like Bo."

"It does, doesn't it?" Kira laughed at Kim's observation. "But I learned that there was more to him than what met the eye."

"So what happened? You going to tell me that you ended up being best friends?"

"Nope, we ended up married." Kim gave Kira a shocked looked. "What? Turns out that if he could push the right buttons to get one reaction, he knew how to push others to get a totally different one, too."

"But you two are always too cute together. You seem to be perfect for one another. You're saying that at one time you couldn't stand him?"

Kira shrugged, "I'll admit, one has to build up a tolerance to Duke Boys. But there are benefits to being with someone who knows what buttons to push."

"Well I'm glad things worked out so well for you, Kira. But don't get any ideas about our situations being the same. Somehow, I don't like the allusion that Bo's getting on my nerves is on the same level as when Jebb used to get on yours. Besides, I don't need another overbearing man who thinks that I should be glad that he bothered to look my way in my life."

Kira scrunched her brow, at the comment. "Another?"

"Forget it." Kim lowered her eyes, not wanting to go into her past with the redhead. "I think I'll go find the number to the nearest hospital and have someone standing by to take care of Rosco."

Kira watched as Kim headed over to the pay phone. There was something in the way Kim spoke that seemed familiar to her. She'd heard women talk like her before. There was a hint of fear in her voice. No woman had ever been scared of Bo before so it must have something to do with the _other man_ that Kim had mentioned. A man who thought that Kim should feel glad that he was part of her life.

Now wasn't the time to ask her more about what had happened in the past, but Kira figured that she'd better keep this conversation in mind. She'd want to know more once everyone was safe and back home again.

~01~

Luke gripped tighter to the wheel as they made their way toward the old warehouse on the edge of town. He hoped that they were coming in time. One bad thing about leaving Kira behind in town, he can't ask her what's going on. He couldn't ask just what they were going up against. They were going in blind.

"Luke! Up there! Is that what I think it is?" Cooter pointed up ahead of the police cars that had insisted on going before the civilians.

"It's the black van from the bank! Use the CB and let the cops know. I'm goin' to get closer. Jebb, you know what to do?"

"You get us up close enough, I'll do my part."

~01~

Bo tried to balance against the side of the van as it went barreling down the road. Bo reached down into his boot and pulled out his pocket knife from where he'd stashed it the day before and started to work the ropes that bound his wrists. He wasn't sure how he was going to manage it, but he had to try to get Boss and Rosco out of here now that they were on the move. Once his hands were free, Bo unbound his ankles then moved over to free Boss and Rosco.

"Boss, if I can get the doors open, we're goin' to have to jump. You up for it?"

"Jump out of this tin can? At the speed that we're goin'? We'll be killed for sure."

"Boss, listen to me. If we don't try then you can bet that our lives are about to come to a very messy end. They've gotten spooked which is why they're on the run. We have to try to escape while they're distracted."

"Alright. How are we supposed to do this?" Boss asked after he considered what Bo was saying to him.

"Well first we have to-" Bo stopped when the van started to swerve.

~01~

Luke pulled the General up close to the van, keeping the car as steady as he could as Jebb prepared to pay the crooks in the van a visit. The local deputies looked on from the nearby cars in amazement as the strangers carried out the plan of what to do should they find the crooks on the move that had seemed too wild when it was suggested while they were all still back in town. They attracted the attention of the gunmen in the van as the Georgians snuck up on the unsuspecting men. When Jebb finally flew through the air, Luke watched on as he gripped the locked rear door to the van.

Following the plan, Luke eased the car back away from the van to keep the men from driving haphazardly while his cousin climbed up onto the roof and made his way to the cab of the vehicle. The cops all moved to prepare to block the van off when the time came. Jebb slowly crept to the driver's side window and gripped the frame. After taking a deep breath, he flipped over and sent as strong of a kick as he could into the driver.

The man lost his grip on the wheel as he started to fight off the sudden visitor who had come flying in through the window. The second man in the van tried to gain control of the wheel but couldn't keep a hold on it through all of the mayhem. The van went off into the ditch on the side of the road while the wheel was unmanned.

~01~

Bo fell back as the van jumped and tilted as it hit the ditch.

"What's goin' on?" Boss asked nervously.

"I think we've just been rescued. That's what." Bo smiled. He knew that Luke and the others wouldn't let him down. "Now we just have to wait for someone to come unlock the door. We'll be able to get Rosco to the hospital and everything will be just fine. You just wait and see."

Bo's smile faded as he heard a round of gunfire. Then there was shouting and more gunfire. He hoped that everything was alright out there.

~01~

Luke jumped out of the stock car and rushed to the back of the van as the deputies finally got the gunmen to surrender. Cooter helped him work the door opened. Once it was open Luke took a sigh of relief as he saw that his cousin was alright.

"Luke! Thank God! When I heard the gunfire I got worried. Help me with Rosco," Bo called to his cousin as he looked up. He'd love to have a touching reunion but it would have to wait until after the older man was taken care of. The infection was spreading and he hadn't seen him awake yet today.

"Cooter, go call for an ambulance. Rosco doesn't look so hot. Boss, are you alright?"

"What? Of course I am. It's about time you showed up. What took you so long?"

"Glad you appreciate the rescue, Boss." Luke looked up as he helped Bo move Rosco closer to the edge of the back of the van and saw that Cooter was already back from talking to the deputies. "Cooter, have they called for the ambulance for Rosco yet?"

"Uh, Luke. Actually..."

Bo saw that the family friend seemed to be a bit pale. "Cooter, what's wrong?"

"Well, they've called for two ambulances."

"What?"


	18. Always flying by the seat of our pants

**Chapter 18: Always flying by the seat of our pants**

Bo got into the ambulance to ride along with Jebb as Luke and Cooter headed back to town to get his sister. Call him a coward but he wasn't going to be the first one to tell her what had happened. Though he was sure to know the moment that she heard that Jebb was shot. Once he got to the hospital, Bo was going to have to call Uncle Jesse with the news. And then someone was going to have to call Placid to tell his folks, too.

Bo watched as the paramedic tended to the other blond Duke and hoped that he'd pull through. Jebb was shot while fighting with Derk and Tyler in the front of the van after he'd been able to get the vehicle stopped. The bullet had caught him in the left shoulder and blood flowed from the wound rapidly.

Bo folded one of Jebb's hands inside his own as he started to pray and whispered to his cousin, "Hang on, Jebb. Hang on. Remember you've got to stick around for Kira and them boys. Don't you leave them behind. You hear me? Just hang on."

~01~

Kira smiled as she saw the familiar orange car turn around the corner and park near the café that Jebb and the others knew that she'd taken Kim to sit in while waiting for everyone to come back from rescuing Bo and the others. She'd not liked being left behind and she intended to make sure that Jebb wouldn't soon forget it either. Just as soon as they were alone together. For right now, though, she was just glad that everyone was okay.

By tonight, they will be well on their way back to Hazzard and by this time tomorrow the whole family will be able to sit back and celebrate the end of Bo and Luke's probation (finally). And she'll be able to snuggle with her babies, too. That had been the hardest part about all of this. At least with Bo, she was able to talk to him; know what was going on with him. But she missed her sons. And by the sound on the phone when she called home, they'd missed her too.

"Come on. Let's go see how everyone made out."

Kira led Kim out of the café and walked over to the car. When Kira got closer to the stock car, she noticed that there were only two men in it. Neither Bo nor Jebb was one of them. Kira stopped in the middle the sidewalk as she looked to her oldest cousin with the obvious questions in her eyes.

"Kira, we need to get to the hospital." Luke walked over to where his cousin was standing and put an arm around her.

"Bo?" Is that why he hadn't told her that the boys' plan had worked?

"No, darlin'. Not Bo."

Kira stared at Luke. If Bo was alright, thank God, then... Kira felt her insides grow cold.

"No, not Jebb. What...? Luke?" Kira felt her breathing quicken as she waited for Luke to answer her.

"There was fight for the guns, he was out numbered. During the middle of the fight one of them went off-" Kira felt her knees buckle beneath her. Luke tightened his hold on her. "Bo rode with him. I'm sure he'll be alright. I'm sure that-"

Kira shook Luke off of her. She walked woodenly over to the car, got in and crossed her arms. She didn't want to hear what Luke was or wasn't sure of. She just wanted to get to the hospital and find out for herself if Jebb was going to be okay. Please God, let him be okay.

Luke and Cooter watched as Kira got into the General. Watched as she started to shut down. Sometimes it was easy to forget that before Jebb, without him to bring her out of herself, Kira had been in many ways a different person. She hadn't been one to express her emotions to others. It had been a means of survival for her before she and the Dukes found one another after decades of separation. She had been as closed off to her emotions as her twin brother was open with them.

Unlike Cooter, Luke wasn't surprised that there hadn't been any emotional outbursts, no crying, no hysterics; only a hardening of the face as she ignored everyone else around her. He swallowed hard and helped Kim into the car. Afterwards, he and Cooter got in as well and pointed the car into the direction of the local hospital.

The drive went by in total silence. Glancing in the rear view mirror, Luke watched as he saw the tell-tale signs of Kira talking to Bo. He'd be willing to bet that while Kira was giving him the silent treatment, Bo wasn't so lucky. She was probably giving him an earful right now about not telling her what had happened. About how she'd had to learn it from Luke instead of him.

Luke felt awful. He shouldn't have had Jebb jump into the van and take on those men. He has a wife and kids to worry about. Luke should have jumped into the van. Not Jebb. He could've had Cooter take the wheel. Shoot it wouldn't be the first time that he'd traded off the wheel while driving down the road. If Jebb didn't make it he'll never forgive himself.

~01~

When Kira walked into the hospital, with the others following in her wake, she went straight over to where she saw her brother sitting near the Hazzard County Commissioner. When Bo saw his sister, he got up and wrapped his arms around her.

"How is he?"

"They took him up to surgery. They are suppose to come down and tell us as soon as he gets out." Bo kept a hold on his twin as he led her over to the couch. "I called home. Daisy is on her way up with the boys. Uncle Jesse was waiting on Miss Lulu and was goin' to drive up with her for Rosco."

Kira started to pull away before she replied, "I have to call John and Pauline. I ha-" Bo pulled her back down on to the couch to stop her.

"Uncle Jesse has likely already taken care of that. You just let everyone else worry about that kind of stuff for right now." Kira let Bo pull her back into another hug. This time staying put.

Luke sat down with Cooter across the room. Meanwhile, Kim went to see what she could find out about Rosco before settling down in the room with the family and friends of the two gunshot victims. Luke and Cooter both left the twins alone while each of them waited on news about Jebb.

Kim watched as the family waited for word of one their own and couldn't help but feel her heart break a little for them. Again, Kim was surprised by how Bo reacted to his sister and how it seemed that she'd shut down to everyone else but her brother. It was hard to believe that they had spent the majority of their lives totally ignorant about the other's existence. For right now, Bo was acting as an anchor for his sister as she waited to hear about the fate of her husband.

As the hours went by, the strain had begun to wear on everyone in the waiting room. When the doctor finally came out to talk to the family, Kira was nearly going out of her mind as she kept coming up with reasons for why no one had come out to speak with her yet. None of them good.

When the doctor told her that the bullet had gone all the way through she held her breath as she waited for him to tell her that he was going to be fine. Jebb had been lucky in the way that the bullet hadn't damaged any major organs. The whole room breathed in a sigh of relief at the news. The doctor told Kira that Jebb was in recovery and someone would come and get her just as soon as he was moved into a private room.

~01~

Jo walked into the museum ready to start her evening shift. She'd been grateful to Stephanie's folks for giving her a job while waiting for her first art show. She hoped that it went over well but a _day job_ would certainly come in handy for right now. There were still a few weeks before the opening of the show and she still had one last painting to work on to make sure that the whole collection was ready in time but she was sure that it would be a cinch to have it done by then.

Jo had to admit that the timing that Steph's father had suggested for the show seemed perfect. With it now being early October, she still had a month before the opening but already she felt the butterflies in her stomach as she thought about how the show could make or break her. The painting that she was still working on would be the center of the collection so she was taking extra care to make sure that it was absolutely perfect.

Jo made her way to the manager's office to check in with Stephanie she passed Jason's (Stephanie's father) office and stopped in her tracks when she realized who he was speaking with in his office with the door opened. She went over to the door and watched as Jason spoke to the general as he tried to show her father some of the sketches of the paintings that were planned for the art show in the next month.

"What are you doing here?" Jo finally asked when it was clear that despite Jason's enthusiasm her father still seemed unimpressed.

"I came to witness first-hand what you're doing with yourself now that you've thrown your life away. You know, it might not me too late for me to-"

"No! I don't need you calling in anymore favors for me. You may not like of what I'm doing, but I don't recall asking you to give me your approval. If this is a mistake, then it's mine to make."

"Not if I have to fix everything after you finally come to your senses and ask me to put your life back on track after you've done such a fine of derailing it."

"Well let me put your mind at ease. I won't expect you to do any such thing. If I fall flat on my face, I'll pick myself up just fine. Isn't that what I was always taught to do? Believe me; I don't need a commanding officer to report to anymore," Jo said with her arms crossed.

"What's gotten into you? You've never shown such insubordination."

"Let's just say that I'm enjoying being a civilian for the first time in my life and that includes making decisions that are what's best for me without having to weigh them against what's best for the corps or anyone else."

Jo stared down her father for the first time in her life. She felt a bit horrified at the thought of what she was doing but she had already gone this far, so she couldn't back down now. Even if she didn't know where the sudden bit of courage and foolishness had sprung from.

"You may regret those words, Joanna. When you do, I may not be able to mop up your mess anymore. When I think of the promise that you showed while in the corps," Thomas said as he shook his head.

"Promises are sometimes meant to be broken. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to work." Jo acknowledged Jason and then turned on her heels and left the office.

General Thomas Hart stared after his daughter, worried about the change that he'd seen in her since being discharged from the Marines. He'll try to talk to her later, someplace away from the reminders of her pipe dreams.

~01~

When Jebb woke up, he had a terrible case of dry mouth. He tried to sit up to go get something to drink and felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder.

"Careful. That shoulder's gonna smart for a while." Kira brought a cup of ice water over to let him sip from a straw. Once he'd gotten his tongue unstuck from the roof of his mouth, he tried out his voice.

"What happened?"

"What happened? You just went and got yourself shot is all that happened." Now that Kira knew that Jebb was going to be alright, anger had replaced the terror that she'd felt after learning of the incident on the roadside. "I guess you're allowed to take all of the risks that you made me promise not to take." Kira crossed her arms as she glared at Jebb. "If you ever tell me that I have to hang back where it's safe again, I swear I'll strangle you within an inch of your life."

"What? You mean you're not goin' to tell me that you're goin' to kill me yourself?" Jebb gave a slight grin trying to lighten Kira's mood.

"That would be kinda counterproductive wouldn't? But that doesn't mean that I won't make you wish that I'd go ahead and take you out of your misery." Jebb chuckled a bit at his wife's comment, knowing that she had to get it out of her system. Unfortunately, the laughter sent a jolt of pain through his shoulder. "Serves you right." Kira walked around to the right side of the bed and sat down beside Jebb while slipping an arm around him. "Don't you ever scare me like that again."

"It's not like I meant to. Besides, Dukes always fly by the seat of our pants."

"Oh, so you're allowed to be a Duke but I'm not? Seems that ain't exactly fair. Not considering that we both have just as much Duke blood as the other," Kira said scowling at her husband.

"Alright, what do you want me to say? Ain't I payin' for it enough? This ain't exactly a bee sting on my shoulder, you know."

"That was sort of my point, Sweetness. And no you ain't payin' for it enough. But you will be. Just as soon as you get home."

Jebb eyed his wife, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I just meant that I know that there is nothing that I can say that could affect you half as much as having your mother say it." Kira grinned at the change of Jebb's expression.

"What does my mother have to do with this?"

"Well, when your parents learned what happened it was naturally decided that they should go to Hazzard to come out for a visit. At least I convinced them to just head to the farm instead of all the way up here since Kim arranged for you to be released in the morning considering that she'll be treating you once we get home."

"Why didn't you try to talk them out of it completely?" Jebb groaned.

"Tell your parents that you've been shot, but no they couldn't come out to see for themselves that you're alright? Um, no. I don't think so. Besides, I have the feeling that I may need the reinforcements when it comes to keeping you from using that shoulder until it heals."

"You're sicking my mother on me?" Jebb gave Kira a horrified look. "I forgot that you can have a mean streak. And here I thought that you two didn't like one another."

"Fortunately for you, we both have a common interest. We both love you. You ready to face the others? I think that Luke ain't goin' to be able to settle down for the night until he's seen that you're alright."

Jebb frowned knowing that his oldest cousin was likely blaming himself for him getting hurt. Nodding, "Go get them on in here."

Kira opened the door as Bo led the others on in. Daisy had brought Bo and Jebb some clean shirts to replace the ruined ones. Both she and Luke were holding a twin. Upon seeing their parents, both of the boys started to squirm wanting to go to them since they hadn't seen them in more than twenty-four hours. Kira took both of them then went back over to sit with Jebb with the boys.

"Hey, Jebb. Don't you know that you're supposed to duck when folks go to shootin'?" Bo called out to his cousin as they all made their way into the room. The fellas and Cooter let Daisy take the lone chair in the room as they stood around the bed. "And you call yourself a Duke."

"Duck? I thought I was supposed to dance with the one holdin' a gun! Now you tell me!" Jebb teased back while lightly smacking his own forehead. "Dang, any other lessons that I might have missed about how to be a proper Duke?"

"Lots of them, Cuz. But your mother wouldn't have approved of you to learning them," Bo smirked.

During the banter, Mikey climbed off of his mother's lap and snuggled onto his father's chest.

"Well at least I know somebody missed me." Jebb looked down as his oldest made himself comfortable. Jebb took his good arm and pulled the baby up in a hug. "I think he's wantin' to get some sleep."

"Them boys didn't sleep well last night. I don't think that it will be hard for Kira to get them down tonight. I went ahead and got a room with a roll away crib for you over at the hotel across the street. And before you say anything, there ain't no way that they'll sleep for anyone else after gettin' to see you two now," Daisy said as she watched the infants snuggle with their parents.

"I think you're right. Not to mention, the nurse came in a little while ago and made sure that the visiting hours were understood. There wasn't any give at all when I tried to talk to her," Kira shifted Jay on her shoulder as she spoke.

"At least I get out of here in the mornin'. How long would I have had to stay here if Kim hadn't done whatever she did to get the doctors to agree to let me leave in her care?" Jebb asked.

"Long enough to let your parents ride up here instead of to the farm." Kira looked up to see the nurse poke her head into the room. The Dukes all glanced at her as she eyed Kira since she'd already had a lengthy discussion about the visiting hours, not to mention there were far too many people in the room. "I think that's our not so subtle cue that visiting hours are over."

Kira gave Jebb a kiss and took Mikey from him and the rest of the Dukes told Jebb that they'd see him first thing in the morning. All of them relieved that Jebb wasn't hurt nearly as bad as he could have been.

~01~

Kim explained to Boss and Lulu that Rosco had been put on antibiotics and that the bullet had been removed finally. Rosco would be kept a few days to make sure that the he recovered well enough. Already, Lulu was going on about how the only reason that she'd had Boss give Rosco the job as sheriff was because it was safe. Now she wasn't sure that she wanted him to be sheriff anymore. She was going on about how it might be time for her baby brother to take some time off.

Of course he'll need to do that anyway while he recovers from the gunshot wound. When Boss mentioned that he'd have to find a new temporary sheriff, Kim asked why he didn't just use Enos. After all, he was the most qualified. Lulu latched onto the idea and mentioned how Cletus could return to serve as the deputy for Enos.

It looked like until Rosco was back on his feet, the Hazzard County Police Department was in for some changes.


	19. Chatting

**Chapter 19: Chatting**

The next day, a small caravan made its way back to Hazzard. Jesse, Daisy, Cooter, Bo and Luke in the General; Kira, Jebb, Kim, and the twins in the other car. Lulu and Boss were remaining behind with Rosco and would return to town once the sheriff was well enough to leave the hospital. Kim had made sure that the hospital sent enough medication for Jebb since the pharmacy in Hazzard would be closed by the time that the group made it back home meaning that he would have to wait until Monday to get any prescriptions filled.

Jebb hadn't wanted to take the meds; instead he complained that no one had thought to ask his uncle to bring some moonshine to dull the pain when he came up to Tennessee. Once Kira had forced him to take the pills that Kim tried to give him, the ride went by fairly quietly. A few times, Kim and Kira would trade off driving so that the mother could tend to the babies.

Kira and Kim shared stories from college and Kim asked how Kira and Bo found out about one another. Kira gave her the edited version that they always told non-family members, skirting the actual finding of one another. Kim was surprised when Kira confessed to being as bookish as Kim. But then, you didn't get through law school without cracking open a fair amount of books. Kira asked Kim about various things that she enjoyed while in college and explained that she'd raced her motorcycle in Motocross races as a means of kicking back.

"Wait a minute. You didn't even know that you were a Duke and you still raced?" Kim asked, careful to keep her voice down since all three blond Dukes in the small family were asleep.

"That's actually where I met Jebb, though I barely spoke to him for the first year or so that I knew him." Kira laughed as she saw the irony of how she mimicked the Duke lifestyle without knowing it.

"Why's that?"

Kira shrugged from behind the wheel. "I told you I couldn't stand him at first. I was angry at the world and he seemed to have had everything that I didn't. Plus he acted like he knew that the world just loved him; something else that grated on my nerves."

"How did you two ever end up together with a start like that?" Kim asked with her brows creased.

"It's kind of hard to nail down to a particular time. I mean, I was able to see a different side to him after a while. I got sick and he came over and kept me company a couple of times. Eventually, all those things that would drive me absolutely crazy I actually started to find kind of cute."

"You do realize that relationships usually take that route in reverse, right? Most of the time it's the things that seem cute at first that end up driving you nuts."

Kira laughed as she thought about how backwards her relationship seemed to be with Jebb. "How about you? Has there ever been anyone that could drive you to distraction? Anyone special?"

Watching the road, Kira didn't see Kim's face darken at the question.

"Special? No. No one like that." Kim stared out of the window and saw that they were nearly back in Hazzard. "Would you mind dropping me off in town? I'll run by and see Uncle Irving to let him know I'm back. I'll be by the farm tomorrow to check on Jebb's bandages."

"Sure, no problem." Kira eyed Jebb as he continued to doze against the window. "I think I'll need the guys to help me get Jebb inside. I better call them to have them stop off to lend me a hand after I let you out." Kira instead called out to Bo as she headed towards town.

_'Bo-Bear, I'm goin' to need some help getting Sleeping Beauty inside. Could you swing by the house and wait for me? I'm taking Kim home first.'_

_'I'll help you carry him in but I ain't goin' to stick around to wake him up. Jebb ain't my type.'_

Kira laughed to herself at her brother's kidding. _'Thanks. And I don't think you're his type either. See you in a few.'_

~01~

The next day, Kim went out to the farm to check on Jebb's shoulder just before the family's rescheduled party was set to begin (now there was even more to celebrate). She was invited to stick around but she declined, figuring that the party was just for family and close friends. Before leaving Kim did go looking for the other blond Duke. When she found him outside, she pulled him aside to speak with him.

"I see everyone is ready to kick back and have fun," Kim said as she looked around at the Dukes and their few guests as they were already beginning to laugh and tell stories as they felt the tension of the last few days melt away.

"We've been looking forward to it for a long time. And now with the bank robbery and Jebb getting hurt..." Bo said while glancing toward the house.

"It could have been worse," Kim was quick to say.

"I know, but now everyone really needs this party even more. You sure you don't want to stay?"

"I'm sure. I just wanted to give you this back."

Kim held out his knife sheath that he'd stashed in her medical bag. Bo took it from her and paused looking at it for a minute.

"Kim, I was thinking. We've been goin' at one another for longer than we can remember. What do you say we call a truce? I mean, whatever started this between us, we were kids. Which means it was likely childish. If we're goin' to hate one another, we might as well do it because of something that happens while we're adults. So, truce?" Bo reached out a hand and waited for the petite woman to take it.

Kim considered Bo's proposition. In light of recent events she figured that it couldn't hurt to at least try a truce with the man who had risked his own life to keep her and others safe during the ordeal with the crooks. Kim lightly took his hand as she responded.

"Alright, truce. I promise that I'll try to dislike you for the jerk you are as an adult rather than the one you were as a kid." Bo eyed her before she added, "Just kidding. Old habits are hard to break."

"Yeh, I guess they are," Bo said agreeing with a slight upturned grin.

"I'd better get on out of here. Otherwise this might end up being one of the shortest cease fires of all time. Oh, and watch Jebb would you. Alcohol and the meds won't mix very well. Just a couple of beers, no 'shine. I've already told Kira but I have the feeling that she may need help keeping watch on him to make sure everything is alright."

"I'll watch em, but if you really wanted an eagle eye on him you should have just told his mother." Bo chuckled knowing if Pauline heard about the limits, Jebb would be lucky to even get any cider while on the meds.

"I'm not that mean. Speaking of Jebb's mother, she's been giving me the creeps the way she's watching from inside. I'd better go." With that, Kim headed over to her blue Jeep that resembled Daisy's.

Inside, Pauline was watching her youngest nephew talk to Kim and her curiosity was piqued. "So she's the new doctor in town? Any chance that-"

"No, Pauline. None. This is probably the first time that they've been in spittin' distance of one another their whole lives without actually doing just that," Jesse replied.

"Well that don't mean-"

"Pauline, don't go makin' somethin' out of nothin'."

As Jesse and Pauline spoke, Jebb and Luke came down the hall talking. When Mikey heard his father's voice, he stopped playing with the blocks on the floor and crawled over to Jebb and raised his arms wanting to be held. Jebb shrugged and squatted down and put his good arm around the small Duke and hefted him up and shifted him a bit to get a good grip on him before standing back up.

"Jebb Stewart Duke! How many times do I have to tell you not to pick them kids up like a sack of groceries?"

"Sorry, Mom," Jebb muttered as he exchanged a look with his cousin and uncle.

"Now Pauline, with only one good arm, how else is he supposed to pick them up?"

Pauline went to answer her brother-in-law but came up short realizing that Jesse had a point. Seeing Pauline's face, both of the younger men tried to hide their grins as they headed on outside to join Bo and Cooter while Daisy and Kira were off in the kitchen. On the way, Luke snapped Jay up as they went.

"Now if you want to go and set things right, why don't you get a hold of that dunderhead of an oldest that we've got."

"Why? What has he done now?"

"Take a seat, I'll fill you in." Jesse figured that he'd given Luke plenty of time to work things out for himself. Now it was time to pull out the big guns.

~01~

Luke watched as Jebb's twelve year old twins sisters each took charge of the babies with amusement. He guessed there wouldn't be any arguments from the girls that the other wouldn't share their time with the babies. They each had one to pamper. Of course Jay didn't seem too happy about the arrangement. Meanwhile, all of the adults were sharing their favorite stories of some of the escapades that had been hampered by the probation. Luke was heading back inside to get another glass of whiskey when his aunt cornered him in the kitchen.

"So, Luke; what is it that I hear about you and your _Old Marine Buddy_, Jo Hart?"

Luke looked up at the question like he was a deer caught in the headlights. Luke took a deep swallow, figuring that he might need it if his aunt was bound and determined to have this conversation. "Depends. Who have you been talkin' to?"

"Your Uncle Jesse said that you two are perfect for one another and you told her to take a job hundreds of miles away. What is wrong with you?"

"Aunt Pauline, you wouldn't understand. It was for the best, alright?"

"Luke, do you really want to end up old and alone? Do you want to end up looking back on your life and think about the could have beens?"

"Pauli-"

"I ain't finished. Look out there. Look out that window. You see your cousins? Bo and Daisy ain't about to let themselves find someone until you do. You know that neither of them would ever want to feel like they are leaving you behind. They have always followed your lead. And not to mention, as much as I hated it when Jebb and Kira got together, have you ever seen him so happy? Did you ever think that you'd see him like he is with them kids? Don't you want that kind of happiness?"

Luke watched as Jebb took one of the babies from one of his sisters in the sack of groceries hold that Pauline hated so much and sat down with his son. The baby laughed and popped Jebb on the face as he pretended to gnaw on the hand. Luke watched as Jebb chuckled as the infant squealed with delight.

"If you love that girl, Luke, don't sit back and wait for regret to take hold. How would you feel if, when she makes that weekly call, she told you that she found someone? Someone who did want to spend his life with her? Would you still say that it's all for the best?"

Pauline took Luke's face in her hands forcing him to look at her. "Luke, I know that I've pushed you for a long time, but that's only because I've seen you searchin' for something for nearly your whole life. I don't want to watch you put yourself through misery just because you're too stubborn to reach out and grab a hold of what you've been waitin' on for all of these years. I don't want watch you let life pass you by.

Your life has been a bit stalled over the last several years; part and parcel with the probation. Because as long as you were on it, you didn't have to think about growing up. Now somewhere along the way, you've grown into a fine man. But for some reason, you don't ever seem to think that you deserve to be happy. If you have a shot at it now, don't just let it pass you by."

Pauline pulled back and gave a critical look at her nephew. "Now, I came in here to get the applesauce for the babies. Do you know where Kira might have put it?"

Luke turned, thankful that his aunt was finished. Grabbing the baby food, he handed it off and watched Pauline head back outside. He should have known that his uncle was getting impatient with him as he tried to figure out just where he wanted things to go with Jo. Now that he thinks that he might know, there was a big hurdle to overcome. One that he'd helped to put there. Jo had a job, an important job, all of the way in D.C. and it wasn't like she'd just be able to do that job from Hazzard.

So what was he supposed to do?

~01~

Luke finished the afternoon chores the next day after church alone since Bo was over at Jebb's helping out since Ryan had weekends off (well-earned as of late) and headed in search of his injured cousin.

All of the women were starting on supper; entertainment in its own right if you were inclined to watch Kira and Jebb's mother try to work in the same kitchen. Though at least they were in neutral territory, they were in Daisy's kitchen so that ought to settle some of the bickering that was bound to come up with them both working in close quarters.

Both of his uncles were out on the porch talking and the girls were running around with their little dog. When Luke found Jebb he was in the living room watching both of the babies as they played with toys on the floor. Luke was surprised to hear Mikey screaming out _Da-da_. When Jebb saw his expression, Jebb smiled up at him.

"Don't get too excited. I already learned that he's just over there babbling to hear himself talk. He's not really calling out Da-da yet, but that don't mean I ain't payin' attention every time he starts."

Luke laughed. "Talking to hear himself talk. Now that sounds familiar."

"Yeh, I'm claiming that he's takin' after Bo."

"I seem to remember that he wasn't the only baby around about the same time that chattered away for no apparent reason. With you born in February and Bo in April, you two were fairly close when it came to makin' noise. Of course at least you were in Placid most of that time."

"I was not as bad as Bo," Jebb chuckled as he tried to look offended.

"How would you know?" Luke laughed when Jebb didn't have a retort. "Listen, I was wantin' to talk to you."

"What about?" Jebb look down as Jay crawled over so he carefully leaned over and picked him up.

Luke pointed to Jebb's injured shoulder. "About that. I shouldn't have let you take on those guys. It should have been me pullin' that stunt. Not you. Not with you havin' Kira and the kids and all. Besides, I'm the one that's supposed to look after Bo."

"Whoa. Wait a minute. There ain't nothin' that happened that was your fault. I did what I did because my family was in trouble. That includes more than just Kira and the boys. I was just as worried about Bo as you were. Not to mention, no one would have been any happier if it was you that had gotten hurt, instead. In case you've forgotten, you're a pretty big part of this family."

Jay cuddled up to his father while Jebb was talking to Luke and started to yawn sleepily.

"I know, it's just that... Well with Bo, it was just supposed to be me, is all. Bo is like my brother and I-"

"You want to stop where you are?" Jebb narrowed his eyes just a bit. "I hope that you ain't suggesting that Bo ain't just as much my family as yours. 'Cause if you are, I've got a mind to knock your teeth in for it. Now, everything worked out just fine. Case closed. As far as my own responsibilities, for one thing, I doubt that I'll be allowed to have another slip in judgment like that again. For another, it ain't your job to keep watch over everyone all by yourself. In this family we each watch over the others. It ain't all left up to just you. You'll end up drivin' yourself nuts if you don't let others share that burden that you've taken up all by yourself."

Mikey looked up and saw that Jebb was holding his brother over on the couch and decided that he didn't want to be left out so he abandoned his shape sorting toy and crawled over and pulled up on the couch to stand unsteadily and grunted to get Jebb's attention. Luke couldn't help but to laugh quietly as Jebb was now faced with two babies who wanted his attention with only one arm to hold them with.

"I think someone's feeling left out," Luke chuckled.

After taking a few seconds to figure out if there was any way he'd actually be able to pull off hefting the second baby without dropping the first, Jebb shrugged then just slid off of the couch to sit on the floor where Mikey was then able to crawl up on his lap and then seemed content enough in his new sitting arrangement.

Jebb looked up from the floor. "See, no problem."

"Comfy?"

"Of course." Jebb laughed but came up short when he noticed that the aroma of the room suddenly changed. "Oh come on, Mike. You didn't come over to me just for that did you?"

Luke busted out laughing at Jebb's comment. "Hey, Kira! I think you might want to check on Mikey!"

Luke continued to laugh at his cousin on the floor as Kira came in see what was wrong. It only took a second to realize why she was called in. She then walked over and picked up the offending baby from her husband.

"I see you left me a gift, huh?"

"I would have changed it, but with one arm..."

"Yeh, I know. Some men will do anything to get out of changing a diaper."

Jebb laughed at his wife's comment. "Guilty."

"Don't let Jay sleep too long, Jebb. He won't be able to sleep tonight." With that, the mother left to clean up the infant, once again leaving the men alone.

After Jebb worked his way back up onto the couch, Luke eyed the kitchen to make sure that his aunt and other cousin were still occupied.

"Can I ask you something else?" Luke shifted uncomfortably in the chair, not sure if he really wanted to ask his younger cousin what he was about to.

"Shoot."

"I was just wonderin'. With Kira, how did you know?" Luke asked uncomfortably.

"Know?"

Luke rolled his eyes; Jebb was going to make him spell it out for him. "How did you know that you, well... How did you know that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with her?"

Jebb looked at his cousin in surprise. That was probably the last thing that he'd expected to hear Luke ask. "Truth?"

"No, Jebb. I want you to blow smoke up my ass and tell me some cock-n-bull story so we can both forget that I dared to ask you a serious question. Then we can run out to get a beer instead."

"I could do that." Jebb smirked at his cousin's sarcastic comment. Then he looked down on his son as he thought of how to answer his cousin. Luke waited for Jebb to speak up but was beginning to think that he'd decided not to. He was about to tell him to forget it when Jebb finally answered. "To tell you the truth, I was scared to death."

"Huh?"

"That's how I knew. I never really was bothered by what any of my previous girlfriends did. With Kira, it got to where I wondered what she was doing when she went back to that la-ti-da law school of hers. Wondered who she was hangin' out with. I was scared that she'd fall for one of those rich pricks that always were around. I was scared that she'd figure out that she could do better than a farmer's son from Backwoods, Georgia."

"Gettin' a little jealous and insecure is one thing, but deciding to get married... Come on, didn't that scare you even more?" Luke prodded. He had to admit to himself that some of those same thoughts about Jo being so far away were going through his mind, too.

"Not as much as thinkin' that if I didn't that someone else, one of those high-class lawyers that she ended up being surrounded by, would convince her to marry them instead."

Luke stopped to think about what his cousin said then went on to ask, "How did you get her to leave Atlanta behind to come to Hazzard?"

"I didn't. When we first started talkin' about marriage, she looked into getting transferred to Placid. But eventually, it didn't matter. I was willing to go to Atlanta. Because that's where Kira was."

Jebb eyed his cousin then added, "If this is about Jo, you can't go in expecting that she'll give up everything for you. Not unless you're willin' to do the same. You have to be willin' to give something up if you want her. You might not have to; she might be willing to come to Hazzard. She might want to but can't because of her job. Either way, you'll have to decide what's more important to you. Having things your way or having her in your life regardless of where you end up.

I mean look at Pop. He was willing to go all of the way to Placid when he married my mom. Uncle Abner moved to Tennessee to be with Aunt Bess. If you really love a woman, where you end up laying your head down at the end of the day won't matter half as much as the fact that it's where she is at, too."

Luke looked up at the sound of the phone ringing as Jebb finished speaking. He got up to take the phone into the guest room and went to talk to Jo.


	20. I'll Figure Something Out

**Chapter 20: I'll Figure Something Out**

"Well, did you tell him?" Stephanie asked as she and Jo jogged their usual route through the park.

"Not exactly."

"Still? You've been trying to tell Duke that you didn't take that job for months now. What happened this time?" Stephanie said shaking her head.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Let's just say that Hazzard is living up to its name, lately." Stephanie eyed Jo so she added, "There was a bank robbery, one of Lukas's cousins was taken hostage, another one got shot during the rescue, and I'm afraid to even think about what he might not be saying about everything that happened."

"Are the cousins alright?"

"Yes. Thankfully." The women made their way to where they typically turned off of the path toward where they parked the car. "I think I'll run a bit more. I've been gaining weight like crazy. It must be the stress of dealing with both my father and the coming show. You know, it would be nice if he at least tried to support me on this."

"Come on, you can't be serious. I'd kill for your body," Stephanie said while eying her friend.

"Maybe, but I had to go up another size in my pants. Here I've been trying so hard to stay in shape for the marathon and it's like no matter how hard I work at it, I keep gaining weight."

"I still think that you're over reacting. I'm beat, come on." Stephanie slowed down to cool off a bit.

"I am not." Jo slowed since she was smart enough to know that, even with her Marine training, it wasn't nearly as safe to go jogging around Central Park alone as it was in a pair. "Plus Lukas asked me to try to find a time to go back for another visit. I don't intend to go back looking like a porker."

"Go back? When?"

"I don't know. By the time I think I could head down, he'll be busy with harvesting the fall crops. Then by the time that he'll be done with that, I'll be busy with getting the art show underway. The way things look; I don't think I'll be able to get down there until it's almost Thanksgiving," Jo said thoughtfully.

"That far off huh? How'd he like hearing that?" Steph gave a knowing smile.

"I just told him that I'll try to figure something out. Meanwhile, I think that I'd better make an appointment with your doctor. There ain't no way I'm going back without birth control."

Stephanie furled her brow as she thought. "Jo, you said you're gaining weight, right?"

Jo nodded, "So?"

"You don't think that you could...Could you be pregnant?"

"Don't start that again. You know that both of the tests came back negative," Jo said while making a face at her friend.

"I know, but I also know that you haven't had a certain visitor since you came back up from Georgia, too. That was the first week in August. It's now October fourteenth. Do the math, Jo."

Jo gave her best friend a hard look, "I have. Like I said, the tests all came back saying that I am not pregnant. Besides, stress can have the same effect and it wouldn't be the first time that I went a few months like this. So stop trying to jinx me."

"Alright, but I still say that it's possible." Stephanie walked over to the car and opened the door to get in. "We better go get cleaned up, now. I have a meeting to get to right after lunch. Get in, Mommy!" Stephanie laughed at the expression that crossed Jo's face.

"Not funny!"

~01~

A week later, Jo was sitting in the exam room of the doctor that Stephanie had been coming to since getting out of the Marines, herself. She'd already had all of the preliminary blood work done and waited in the paper gown as the middle aged woman walked in.

The doctor asked the basic questions and then had Jo lie back as the exam began. Jo always hated these types of exams. Finally the doctor told her that she'd be right back and that Jo should get dressed while the doctor was gone. When the woman returned, she sat in the small chair in the room while Jo was stuck sitting up on the exam table since there was only one chair in the room.

"You said that you were in here to get some birth control."

"That's right," Jo said simply.

"Well, I don't know how to tell you this, but you're a bit late for that."

"What?" Jo's face dropped at the news.

"When was your last menstrual cycle?"

"Mid-July."

"And in early August, did you have unprotected sex?" The doctor asked.

"Well... y...es. But I've taken two home pregnancy tests since then and they both came back negative!"

_Holy crap! What was she going to do?_

"It is possible to have a negative pregnancy test, yet still be pregnant. In fact, false negatives on pregnancy tests, while not necessarily common, are definitely not unheard of. Most of the time, the margin of error on a pregnancy test relies on having a negative pregnancy test and still being pregnant. This means that, if a given pregnancy test is ninety-seven percent accurate, there is virtually a three percent chance that you can have a negative pregnancy test and still be pregnant. Getting a false positive on a pregnancy test, while it does happen, is much less likely than having a negative pregnancy test and still being pregnant."

"So I'm preg...pregnant?"

"Yes. Now, it says in your paperwork that you filled in out in the waiting room that you're not married."

"That's right."

"In a steady relationship?" The doctor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I guess you could say I'm in a relationship. It's just... kinda...complicated."

"I see. I suppose my next question then is this. Do you want to proceed with the pregnancy?"

"What?" Jo looked at the doctor as if she'd lost her mind. What kind of question was that?

"Well, with women in your situation, it's not uncommon for the woman to not want to go through with the pregnancy. If you'd rather not, then I can refer you to-"

"Look, I don't care what other women in my _situation_ do. So you can stop right where you are," Jo said cutting off the doctor.

"Alright. Well, in that case, I'll have the necessary tests ran. The nurse will schedule your next appointment. If there's anything that you need to know, feel free to ask me."

"Saying that I conceived the first couple days in August. When is the baby due?"

"I'm putting April twenty-fifth down in your chart as your due date. Now that doesn't mean that's when the baby will be born. Only somewhere around that time. Alright?"

Jo nodded. How was she going to break this to Lukas? Surely she shouldn't do it over the phone, but realistically, she just wasn't going to be able to go down to Hazzard for about another three weeks. Jo left the office in a fog of disbelief. Somehow, she didn't think that Lukas is going to be quite ready for this.

~01~

"I thought a woman is supposed to get sick a lot when she is pregnant. I haven't been sick at all. I haven't had any pregnancy symptoms. Well none except the weight gain," Jo said frustrated as she sat on her couch.

"Maybe you're one of the lucky ones. That or you've just been too busy to notice any symptoms. Of course that queasiness that you felt back when your father was here might not have just been because of him." Stephanie had come over to Jo's apartment right after she got the call. She'd been surprised by her call. She'd only been teasing last week when she suggested this very thing.

"Oh, God! I can't believe that this is happening. Not only am I going to have to tell Lukas, but I'm going to have to find a way to tell my father, too! If he thinks that I've screwed my life up already, he's really going to flip when he hears that his un-wed daughter is pregnant. And he's coming in again in just a few days."

"When are you going to tell Duke?"

"Well, I can't tell him over the phone. That's for sure. I guess I'll just have to wait," Jo said as she glanced at the phone. How could things have gotten so complicated so fast?

"Are you going to be able to go on with business as usual without telling him?"

"I'll have to. At least I'll have a little time to figure out how to tell him without it coming off as if I'm trying to get him to marry me."

"You're not still going to stay on that kick are you? Come on. Doing this alone in theory is one thing. But now that you know that you really are pregnant-"

"That doesn't have to change my view on trapping a man into marriage. I'll figure something out. But I'm not going to just show up and say_, 'Lukas, guess what? You're gonna be a daddy. Now let's head to the church'_. Just because I am pregnant, I don't have to get married. How many people have we known that ended up miserable because they rushed to the church to try to fudge the date of conception? Though in my case, there isn't any way possible to keep folks from doing the math. I'm already way too far along for that. Even if I flew down to Hazzard today and dragged Lukas to the courthouse to get a quickie wedding, there just wouldn't be a way to hide it anyway."

"Alright, I know better than to argue with you." Stephanie flopped onto the couch and made herself a bit more comfortable. "Besides, I still need you to help out in a couple of days with those kids that are coming in with that school group. I can't afford to get you mad at me right now."

"Maybe they'll come with enough teachers to keep an eye on them. The last group that came through only had four adults with about sixty kids. I'm glad it wasn't my paintings that ended up getting trashed like those that the little hellion tore into."

"You should have seen his parents. They didn't even bat an eye when they paid for the damages. That kid is a spoiled brat and complete trouble with a capital T," Stephanie said as she thought about the day in question.

"Something tells me that they already have bail money stowed aside in the form of a trust fund for that kid somewhere."

"Probably," Steph smirked.

"I hope that if any of the kids show up sick this time, the teachers send them home. The last time I had one kid sneezing and coughing all over me the whole time."

Jo was glad for the change in topic and latched onto it. The two continued discussing various visitors to the museum that had been in recently, finding humor in many of them. Jo showed her finished final painting to her friend and discussed the layout of the upcoming show. Jo considered asking Luke up for the show; of course she first has to explain to him that she didn't take the job in Washington, D.C. and that she came to New York instead. Considering how well her father had taken the news, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know how Luke will take it.

~01~

Luke and Bo walked into the Boar's Nest and found that Cooter was already waiting for them. They hadn't gotten to see him very often lately since they'd been busy with the harvest. Now that it was finally done, they could sit back for a bit and relax. The fellas each got a beer and was enjoying not having to be out in the fields until sundown busting their butts working. It didn't take long for the men to attract the attention of some of the single women in town. While Bo was dancing with one of the women, Cooter made an observation of how Luke, while enjoying the attention that was sent his way, wasn't really joining in on the fun.

Luke confessed that he just wasn't sure if he wanted to. He told his buddy of how his aunt had cornered him when she'd been down from Placid. He even told him how he'd been trying to figure out what he wanted to do from here when it came to his relationship with Jo.

"Well, Luke, I could give you my own opinion on what I think you should do. But if Jesse heard what I'm about to suggest, he'd likely tan my hide for it."

"Oh, with a set up with that, I have to hear what you have to say." Luke leaned in to hear what the mechanic had to say.

"Well, if you really want to know whether or not you're ready to strap on the old ball and chain, try going out on a couple of dates. Especially with the women that you know ain't looking for nothin' deeper than a good time for the night. You'll know real quick if you really are ready to settle on just one woman or not. If you can enjoy yourself without any guilt, then you're still a free man. On the other hand, if you can't, then you're already too far gone for anyone to help you now."

"You're right, Jesse would tan you." Luke chuckled as the suggestion that he'd just heard.

"Well, if you can go out with, let's say, Anne over there that's been trying to get you to take her out for a good while without really enjoying yourself, you're already doomed."

"Is that the way you figure it?" Luke eyed the blonde over at the bar that his friend was referring to. He'd gone out with her several times before and had always had a good time. Of course there was only one thing that she was really interested in from any guy, which was probably one of the reasons Luke had gone out with her. He knew that she was one woman in Hazzard who wasn't looking to get her **'M.R.S.'** from one of the eligible Duke men.

"You know of a better way of testing everything out? I certainly can't think of a more fun way to do it." Cooter laughed as he replied. Meanwhile, Luke was thinking over his friend's suggestion.

~01~

The next morning, Luke went about his normal routine. He got up for morning chores and practically dragged Bo out of his bed to make sure he was awake before heading on out to get started. When Bo finally stumbled into the barn, Luke laughed at his lack of coordination this morning.

"Looks like you got in a bit late last night, Bo. Have fun with Cindy?"

Despite his tiredness, Bo felt a sub-conscious smile cross his face at the memory of his night with the raven-haired beauty.

"Would you expect anything less? I was a bit surprised when you left out last night with Anne. You've barely seen anyone in more than six months. I guess those phone calls finally wasn't enough for you, huh?"

Bo headed over to check on Maudine the mule since it was clear that she was on her last leg. The newest mule was over in her own stall munching away on her oats but Maudine was ignoring her own feed.

"Well, I figured that it wouldn't hurt to have a little company. Turned out though, things didn't quite go the way I thought they would." Bo cocked his eyebrow while he waited for his cousin to continue. "I ended up coming on home instead."

Bo's jaw dropped. "You came home? When Anne was right there primed and ready to go? Do I need to call a doctor for you?"

"Very funny." Luke rolled his eyes in response to his cousin's teasing.

"Oh no. You let Jesse and Pauline get to you. Didn't you?" Luke just shrugged in response. "Well I never thought that the day would come when you would fall hard enough for a dame that she could be hundreds of miles away and you'd still pass on a woman who was in arm's reach. I think I'd best see if I can get my black suit out. That way I can pay my respects."

"Cute, Bo. Let's just get the chores done."

With that, Luke turned back to his work. Turned out that Cooter's little experiment really had shown Luke more about himself than he thought it would. Now what?

~01~

Jo woke up and instantly wished that she hadn't. She felt horrible. She had a scratchy throat, was coughing, had a runny nose and had an earache. When she took her temperature, she found that it was one-oh-one point two. Grabbing the phone, she called the museum to leave a message for Stephanie to tell her that she wouldn't be able to help her with the school group coming in today.

Once she hung up, she sat on her couch as she reached for a bottle of lotion; she was so itchy this morning. After slathering some on, she stumbled over to the window to pull the curtains closed tightly. Somehow, even with them drawn, too much light was still getting through. Jo grabbed a blanket to hide the window, bathing the room in as much darkness as she could. Going back to bed, Jo could only hope that whatever bug she'd caught would work its way through her system fast. Especially with her father coming in the next day.


	21. Going out of my Mind

**Chapter 21: Going out of my Mind**

"Come on, Jo. You've been sick for days. It's time that you went to the doctor." The general had only been planning to come up for a quick trip over the weekend but when he'd arrived Friday and saw how sick she was, he wasn't about to leave his little girl alone.

"I'll be fine. It's probably just the flu," Jo said as she scratched the irritating rash that had steadily been forming since yesterday. She'd been stuck in bed since Thursday, now it was Sunday and she still felt so bad. Every single joint practically screamed at her every time she had to get up. Looking at the rash of red dots, she considered them for a moment. "Have I ever had the chicken pox?"

"Yes, when you were four I believe. Why?" The general looked over at his daughter in the darkened room as she sat on the couch wrapped up in a blanket shivering from cold even as he was roasting in the overheated apartment.

"I've been itchy for days but now I've got a rash starting. That's the only thing that I can think of that would give me these."

The general walked over closer to Jo and studied the outcropping of bumps on his daughter's arm then leaned in to check her hair-line while trying to ignore the redness and puffiness of her eyes.

"Let's go. I insist that you see a doctor now," the general said standing.

"The office won't be opened until tomorrow morning."

"Then I'll take you to the hospital instead. Get moving."

~01~

Luke and Bo were on the porch playing their guitars while relaxing a bit. They never really had much planned for Sunday evenings. They played and sang as the daylight slipped down over the horizon and the family was having a good time.

For the most part.

Luke's eyes kept finding the silent phone in his field of vision. Ordinarily, Jo would have called hours ago. She hasn't missed a Sunday since she left Hazzard. He couldn't help but wonder why she hasn't called today yet. Maybe he'd waited too late to tell her how he feels about her. Maybe she was out with someone right now. Maybe she was tired of waiting on him. Luke tried to shake the images of Jo out with some other man out of his head but it had taken too firm of a hold on him.

This must be what Jebb had been talking about when he spoke about how he felt when Kira was off in Massachusetts at law school. And that was before he and Kira were exclusive. Damn. How did he make it through all of that time, especially without any of the rest of them knowing that something was wrong? Jebb had come to Hazzard and acted as normal as he could be while wondering what Kira was up to in Cambridge.

Here Luke was and had missed one phone call and he was going out of his mind. He couldn't help but be upset and worried at the same time as he'd sat around all evening waiting for her to call. He'd even thought about suggesting that he should go up to where she was at since she wasn't able to come down. He was planning on getting directions from her tonight. He'd already discussed it with the family and no one had a problem with it. In fact, Jesse seemed thrilled that his oldest was taking the initiative to move the relationship with Jo forward a bit more.

Now if she'd only call.

~01~

Jo was sitting in the waiting room of the local emergency room feeling very much like a child with the way her father was acting while trying to get her seen ahead of some of the others waiting in the large room with her. She'd grabbed the box of tissues and had practically gone through them all by the time she was called back into the triage room. That feeling like a child was only reinforced when the general went with her.

In the room, her vitals were taken and the nurse went over her symptoms with her while she wrote them down. Jo winced slightly as the nurse started going over the list of mandatory questions knowing that one very important one was coming up and she'd rather not answer it with her father in the room.

"Now, to avoid any complications, I have to ask if you're pregnant," the nurse asked without really looking up from her checklist.

"What kind of question is that? Shouldn't it be obvious? She's unmarried after all," Thomas said sounding more than a bit irritated that someone could suggest that his daughter could be pregnant.

"Sir, I'm only asking because I have to. Now, Miss Hart. Is there a possibility of pregnancy?" The nurse asked then waited for a reply.

So much for waiting to break the news at a better time. Not trusting her voice, Jo avoided looking at her father while she nodded to the nurse. Both the nurse and her father frowned for different reasons.

"Joanna! You can't be serious!" The general stared down at his daughter in total shock. How could she have gotten herself into this mess? It seemed that her life just kept rolling downhill this year. Pregnant? Pregnant!

"Alright, we'll need to get some tests done. I'll go ahead and set you up in an exam room. Then the doctor will be in to see you in a few minutes."

Jo stood and followed the nurse as she avoided looking at her father. Well, he'd already been disappointed in her. This just sort of sealed the deal on that disappointment.

Jo got settled into the room and was poked and prodded so much that she swore that she knew what a pin cushion felt like. She was able to get a nurse to call Stephanie for her. She'd rather have her friend with her than her father at this point. He was going on and on about what he was going to do just as soon as he found out who had taken advantage of his daughter.

By now, Jo was too sick to argue with her father about how she was a grown woman and that no one had taken advantage of her. Her father was determined to get a name of the scoundrel who had knocked his little girl up. Of course, Jo refused to tell him and wrapped herself up in her blanket and turned onto her side. She hoped that he'd tone it down a notch or three. She wasn't really feeling up to going a few rounds with her father right now.

When the doctor finally came to talk to Jo, her father had stepped out of the room so Jo was alone finally as the doctor gave her his diagnosis.

"I'm afraid that you've caught a case of the measles, Miss Hart. Now with the fact that you said that you are pregnant, I'm afraid that it is a bit of a concern. I'm going to go ahead and admit you so that we can monitor both you and the baby."

Jo's eyes went wide. The doctor sounded serious.

"Is something wrong?" She's only known that she was pregnant for a couple of weeks. Now the doctor was here telling her that he was admitting her into the hospital with the measles and she didn't like the look he was giving her.

"There is a possibility that the measles will affect the pregnancy. I'll go and see about the room for you upstairs. I'll be right back."

Jo leaned back onto the bed as she waited for the room to be found for her. Hearing the door open, Jo looked up to see Stephanie walking in leaving the door ajar.

"Jo! What's wrong? I got a call saying that you were here."

"Well, it turns out that I kept getting sicker so my father brought me in."

"Good, I tried to get you to see the doctor Friday before he came in," Stephanie said as she sat on the bed next to her best friend.

"No, not good. He knows I'm pregnant now."

"Oh no!"

"I haven't even gotten a chance to go down to Georgia so I can tell Lukas yet. But when the nurse asked me if I could be pregnant, I just froze," Jo said as she sank back against the bed.

"Well, you'd better call Duke now. Better you tell him over the phone than your father."

"I haven't even told you the worse part yet. That cold that I thought I had, turns out to be the measles! And the doctor is worried about the baby now."

"Why?"

"He didn't explain. Just went to check on a room for me upstairs. Looks like I have to stay."

Outside, Thomas was right outside the door about to go in when he realized that his daughter and her friend were deep in conversation. Lukas Duke, huh? Georgia? It's time to call in another favor.

_Let's just see what kind of man this Lukas Duke is._

~01~

Kira strolled into the Boar's Nest just a bit more than curious about just why Hogg had asked her to come see him. The boys were back at the house with Jebb; both had just been put down for their naps after she made sure that they had fresh diapers. She figured that she'd be back before they woke up which meant that Jebb shouldn't have any problems with his arm still in a sling.

When Kira saw that Daisy was busy with some customers, she by-passed the bar and went straight into the back room that Boss Hogg used as an office. Without bothering to knock, Kira went on in surprising the fat man by her briskness.

"Alright, Hogg. I'm here; mainly out of curiosity. So you want to tell me why you called and said that you wanted to talk to me?"

Boss moved some papers around on his desk to find the one that he wanted and handed it to Kira. "You know how the old cotton mill has been abandoned for years?" Kira scanned through the papers and cocked her head waiting for Hogg to continue. "Well there is a big company from up north that is considering relocating one of their plants into the area. I was hoping to try to convince them that Hazzard was the ideal place for them to set up shop."

"Bringing more jobs to the area which then will leave more money up for grabs for you to swipe from the residents of Hazzard," Kira said as she flipped through the paperwork. "I'll admit, it would be good for the folks here in Hazzard if this company brought their business here. But what does it have to do with me?"

"Well…" Boss mopped his forehead nervously. He knew that the woman in front of him didn't particularly care for him. But this was about business. "My lawyer was sent up for fraud, which means I now don't have a lawyer to help negotiate the deal when I'm supposed to go up to meet with the corporate folks in a couple of weeks. Now seeing as how you care for the people here in Hazzard and you being a lawyer and all..." Boss looked to see if he could gauge the reaction of Kira as he spoke.

"Let me get this straight. You want me to take you on as a client and represent you for a business deal." Boss nodded as the redheaded Duke stared at him with an unreadable gaze. When Kira reached for the phone, J.D. asked what she was doing. "I'm goin' to call Rhuebottoms to see if the devil just walked in to buy a parka."

"I know, look, I never in a millions years thought that I'd be wanting to hire a Duke. But even you have to admit, this county needs those jobs. And with your degree, there ain't no one else around these parts that could measure up quite the same way. So, will you go and help out with the talks?"

Kira eyed the commissioner while she thought about it. "If I do, I'll need Daisy to help with the boys. Which means that she'll need time off with pay while I'm gone."

"What?"

"You heard me. Actually, I could ask for overtime pay too since she'll be pulling long hard hours helping with the boys but I won't. I'll be satisfied with just the paid time off."

"And if I refuse?"

"Well, you're right, this county does need these jobs. I tell you what. I have money of my own that I've just got sitting around collecting dust. I could go and discuss this deal with this company on my own behalf instead. That way the people of Hazzard still get the jobs but you won't get your cut of the deal in the process."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me," Kira dead-panned.

"Alright. We'll be going up in about two weeks. I'll make the arrangem-"

"I'll make my own arrangements, Hogg. Now if you'll excuse me. I think I need to go drink some Holy Water. I hate the feeling that I've just become partners with the devil himself."

With that, Kira headed back to her home. Certain Jebb was going to think that she'd lost her mind agreeing to be Hogg's lawyer.

~01~

"My very first show and I'm not even there for it. I can't believe it." Jo crossed her arms as she spoke in a scratchy voice.

"Well, you did agree that you didn't want to postpone the showing. You worked too hard on everything to not get your shot now. Don't worry; it'll come off just fine. I promise." Stephanie gave her friend a hug across the shoulders as she sat on the bed beside Jo. "Did you hear anything from that doctor today?"

"He came in for some tests earlier but I'm still waiting for the results."

"I'm sure that everything will be alright. I mean, how bad can it be to get a rash and a fever while you're pregnant?"

"Only a rash and a fever, huh? I guess I've been playing up this whole measles thing a bit much," Jo said while trying to laugh.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that. But you know what I meant. You'll be out of the hospital and trying to break the news to Duke in no time."

"I thought that you were supposed to be making me feel better, not worse."

"Sorry, I passed the general on my way up here. I'm sort of surprised that he's still here. Is he still mad?"

"I'm afraid so. Though at least he stopped hounding me about who got me pregnant. I still don't think he likes the idea of being a grandfather."

"It'll take some getting used to but thank God for small favors. At least he's not pushing anymore." Steph noticed Jo grimacing and arching her back as if she was in pain. "Are you alright?"

"My back is killing me. When you leave maybe you could send the nurse in with something to dull the ache."

"Alright. You sure you don't want me to stay?"

"No, tell me how the show goes and send a nurse in here, will you?" Jo said with a grimace.

"Okay. I'll go get her now." As Stephanie left, she ran into Thomas Hart. "General, I was hoping that I could convince you to come to the art show tonight. I think you'll be impressed."

"I don't think so. I don't have time for anything like that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I see the doctor heading towards Joanna's room."

Thomas left Stephanie to get onto the elevator as he headed back down the hall. When he got into the room, he saw the doctor listening to his daughter's abdomen with his stethoscope. He seemed to be searching for the baby's heartbeat.

"I'm going to have an ultrasound ran. I want to che-"

"What's wrong?" Jo asked worriedly.

"I'd like to check with the ultrasound before I say anything. I'll have someone take you down for it in just a minute. Alright?"

Jo nodded as she felt a bit sick to her stomach. She wasn't sure if it was part of the symptoms of the measles but she knew that there was something wrong and the doctor was dodging her questions. Looking up, she saw her father.

"Dad." She hadn't called her father anything but General for years. Right now, though, she didn't want the general. She wanted her father, her daddy.

He surprised Jo by going over and sat beside of her and held her to him. His little girl needed him right now, but just as soon as he found out who put his baby through all of this he'll make him pay for it.

~01~

Luke was busy cleaning out the stalls for the mules when Bo came out looking for him. Seeing Luke was trying to work off some steam, Bo just leaned back onto the door frame as he watched Luke putting just a bit too much gusto into shoveling out the stalls.

"You want to talk about it?" Bo asked as he saw Luke starting to slow in his work.

"Nope." Luke wiped the sweat off of his forehead with his arm as he answered his cousin.

"Just so I know, are you mad that Jo hasn't called or are you worried? That way I know what line I'm supposed to tell you so you don't end up working yourself into the ground."

Luke looked up at Bo and gave him a hard looked. "Just leave me alone, will ya."

"She might have a good reason for not calling. Not to mention, I can't believe that you never bothered to write her number down so that you could be the one doin' the calling."

"Bo, would you just go away?"

"Nope, you need to stop sitting around waiting for the phone to ring. Go get cleaned up. We're going into Capital City for a night on the town."

"I don't want to go to Capital City," Luke said through gritted teeth.

"Fine, at least get cleaned up enough so we can go to the Boar's Nest then. I'll call Jebb and Cooter. It's been a while since we all went out. Now that Jebb's arm ain't in that sling no more he'll be glad for an excuse to get out of the house. Come on. You ain't goin' to let him down now are you?"

"Go without me," Luke told Bo as he turned back to the chores that no longer needed to be done.

"No can do, Luke. So let's go."

Luke huffed out a breath and surrendered to his cousin. Because if he didn't, Luke knew Bo well enough to know that he'd hound him all evening. So, it's off to the Boar's Nest.


	22. Wrong Impressions

**Chapter 22: Wrong Impressions**

Luke took up a place at the bar as the other men went to a table to wait for Cooter to come in. He didn't really want to be here and they knew it. Luke figured that he might as well sit where he could watch the bar for any trouble. With it being Friday night there is usually plenty of it.

Over at the table, Bo shook his head at the stubbornness of his oldest cousin. "I can't believe that he's still acting like this. Just because a dame hasn't called in a couple of weeks. He's been ornerier than a stepped on pole cat."

"Come on, Bo. It ain't easy to carry on a long distance relationship. And Luke ain't ever been all that open with his feelings in the first place. I can sympathize a bit. He hasn't heard from Jo in a long while now. You'd be surprised at what all can run through your head during that time frame."

"How would you know?"

Jebb stared at his cousin/brother-in-law in disbelief. "Cause I've been there. I had my own fair share of sleepless nights back when Kira was in law school. Wondering what was going on all of the way up north. Being away from someone like that can really either build up a whole lot of trust or can shred whatever relationship you have apart."

"I still don't see what the whole big deal is. I mean, those two kept in contact for years. Why should things be different now?"

"You don't see the big deal because you've never been in love. Luke's finally realized that he is-"

"I've been in love before." Bo looked at Jebb offended.

"Trust me, once you've actually been in love, you'll realize that all of those times that you thought that you were, weren't nothin'." Jebb then went on to change the topic since if they continued on this line of thought, one of them was bound to get uncomfortable since the woman that Jebb found himself in love with was Bo's sister.

Jebb told Bo about Kira's meeting with Boss and how it seemed so weird that Boss actually wanted to hire a Duke to help with a business deal; a legitimate business deal. Jebb was still a bit apprehensive about it. Especially since it would require Kira to go north for a few days. The plane tickets were bought and he and Kira would go up in a couple of days since he didn't like the idea of her heading up alone. Even if his shoulder was still a bit tender, he'd knock anyone flat on their backs if they tried anything with her.

Across the room, a group of truckers had come in and the lead trucker in the group seemed to be giving Daisy a hard time. Something that wasn't missed by Luke since that was precisely the kind of trouble that he'd been expecting. He could tell that she was taking it in her usual stride but when one the men grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap Luke was up on his feet so fast that the bar stool that he'd been sitting on flipped backwards as he stood. He grabbed the man's hands that was holding Daisy and forced him to let go of his female cousin.

"Well, at least you'll get to have some fun together, Jebb. I mean, Kira won't be in meetings the whole time you're in Ne-" Bo stopped mid-sentence when he'd realized that his other cousin was taking on four men across the room. "Dang it, Luke!"

Both blond Dukes got up and headed over to help their dark haired cousin as he knocked one man into the bar as another man came up and tried to use a chair to swing at Luke. The bar erupted as the free for all began with three Dukes at the center of it all against the out of town truckers.

~01~

Thomas Hart looked at the map as he checked with the paperwork that he'd brought with him. He'd learned that Lukas Keith Duke, A.K.A. Luke Duke was from a small backwoods area called Hazzard. How in the world his daughter ever met up with him was beyond him. He was a former Marine with fairly decent service record for an enlisted man though he'd left the corps just as soon as his first tour of duty was up.

From there, he'd returned to this farming community and for the most part, hasn't left it. Probably due to the probation that he'd been on for the last ten years. How could Jo get caught up with a moonshiner? What could this man possibly have to offer his daughter? She'd had a bright future ahead of her. Now she'd set all of it aside. Then this roughneck hillbilly got his hooks into Jo and got his little girl pregnant.

He'll pay for that.

Obviously there couldn't be any real relationship between the two of them. Not with him here and Joanna in New York. So he must have just used her for a one night stand. He'd hired a private investigator and had this Luke Duke looked into while he'd been by his daughter's bedside in the hospital. He'd learned that this man seemed to go through an awful lot of women. There was even reason to believe that many of the kids at the local orphanage were his. And he'd planned to pawn off another of his spawn onto his baby girl.

He might not have always been the best father, perhaps a bit too driven in his career, but he'll be damned if he'll let anyone take advantage of his little girl.

Up ahead, Thomas saw a small roadhouse and figured that he could get directions to the local hotel since he doubted that he'd be able to find the scoundrel that he'd come to hunt down tonight. But as soon as morning came, heaven help him.

~01~

Jo walked into her apartment for the first time in more than two weeks. Somehow feeling a bit emptier than she'd been when she'd left. She'd likely had caught the measles from one of those kids who had come in to the museum with a school group that appeared to have a cold when they came in. Now thanks to the fact that some parent hadn't kept their sick kid home, she won't get a chance to be a parent herself.

Midway through her second week in the hospital the doctor hadn't been able to find a heartbeat of her baby any longer. As long as she lived, she'll never forget the doctor telling her that her baby was dead. Stephanie was with her when she'd been taken back for the surgery after she was told of the baby's death. Now she was with Jo as she got her settled back at home. She'd still have to take it easy for a while thanks to the measles but at least she was home.

Eying the phone, she knew that she really should call down to Georgia. After all, she'd missed not one, but two calls. Right now though, she really wasn't ready to talk to Lukas. She wasn't sure just how much she should tell him. Should she tell him about the baby only to tell him about its death? That didn't seem very fair.

Sighing, she decided she'll figure it all out in the morning. In the meantime, she'll get some sleep. Stephanie handed Jo the sleeping pills that the doctor had prescribed to her and hugged a pillow tight to her as she curled up on her bed. Imagining that she wasn't alone in bed right now. Wishing that she wasn't alone when she woke up.

~01~

When the general walked into the roadhouse, it was clear that an all-out brawl was underway despite the fact that two police officers were trying to get the room under control. It was only after there were four unconscious men on the floor that the room began to calm down. Only then did the three men in the center of the ruckus settle back. Especially the dark haired man that was with the two blonds.

"Arrest them! I want them arrested for tearing up my bar. Do you duty Enos! Arrest them good for nothin' Dukes!" A fat man in a white suit came out of a back room shouting as Thomas carefully stepped over the debris as he made his way to the bar.

Dukes? Couldn't be.

"I'm sorry, Luke. Fellas. But I'm afraid I'm goin' to have to take ya'll in." The thin man with a sheriff's badge said to the three brawlers who were still standing.

Luke? So, one of these men was Luke Duke.

"What about them four? They started the whole thing." The tallest of the group said as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Sorry, Bo. Boss only wants ya'll taken in. Ya know the drill."

"Daisy, could you call Uncle Jesse and Kira for us?" The other blond asked the waitress.

"Sure thing, Jebb. Don't you worry none, sugar. I'll call them," the waitress behind the bar said.

If the blonds were Bo and Jebb, then that meant that the dark-haired man must be Luke. Thomas's blood boiled as he watched the man who had gotten his daughter pregnant leave with the sheriff and deputy as they headed towards the door.

It looked like finding Luke Duke wouldn't be as difficult as he thought. He'd only needed to find the local jail to find that bastard. The general headed back out of the bar and followed the police cars as they headed off to book their prisoners. He intended to say his peace to the man tonight. Then he can head back to D.C. first thing in the morning.

~01~

The three Duke men were led downstairs to the cells in the lower level of the jail. Bo and Luke were placed in one while Jebb was put in the other one alone. Jebb sat down on the small cot and leaned his head back against the wall as he tried to get the pain going through his abused shoulder under control.

"You alright, Jebb?" Bo asked when he noticed the other man's actions.

"Fine. I'm just goin' to pay for tossin' that one guy over the bar, is all."

Luke eyed his cousin, "Your shoulder bothering you?" Jebb nodded in response. "Maybe you should have sat this round out."

"And miss all of the fun? Besides, it is impossible for one Duke to sit back and watch other Dukes fight off strangers without jumping on in." Jebb tried to smile through the pain.

"Kira's goin' to have a fit if you've hurt that shoulder again." Luke smirked knowing Kira's likely reaction to Jebb getting himself hurt again so soon.

"And Jesse's bound to be a bit upset at all of us, Luke. So what's your point?" Jebb shot back as he heard Cletus at the top of the stairs talking to some unknown man.

"I'm sorry sir, but I ain't sure that Cousin Boss would like me lettin' you downstairs. After all, you ain't family or nothin'."

"I'm sure that your cousin won't mind. After all, he didn't seem to hold the man in very high regard himself. I only want to say my peace and I'll go."

The man made his way down the stairs and zeroed in on the man that he now knew as Luke Duke. Upon seeing him, the general narrowed his eyes at him. Both he and the taller blond were both sitting on the cot nearest the other cell and it looked as if they'd been talking to the third Duke in the next cell over.

"You Lukas Duke?"

Luke looked up at the older man as he approached the cell door. "That depends. Do I know you?"

"Not yet. But you know someone very close to me. You have an awful lot of explaining to do, Sergeant."

Luke narrowed his eyes back at the man. Just who did he think he was coming down here like this? "You want to be a bit more clear on that?"

"You got my little girl pregnant, you bastard! Though with your reputation, maybe that doesn't narrow things down enough."

"Pregnant? What are you talkin' about? I ain't got no one-" Luke said while making a face.

"Allow me to introduce myself," Thomas said through gritted teeth. "I am General Thomas Hart."

"General? Jo! Wait a minute! Are you sayin' that she's-"

"Ah, so you do remember her? How dare you take advantage of her?" The general bellowed.

"Wait a minute! This is the first I've heard of this!" Luke said more than a bit baffled.

"Sure it is. You must be well practiced at that line by now. Just as you seem to be quite at home here in this jail. You wouldn't happen to be used to being caged up like an animal would you? Fortunately, my daughter won't be forced to raise your demon spawn. The best thing that could have ever happened to her after being the victim of your attention is the termination of the pregnancy. Don't expect my daughter to carry your bastard child."

Luke rushed the bars of the cell as Bo tried his best to calm his cousin. "What are you talkin' about?!"

"Don't you ever go near my daughter again! It's bad enough that her life has been totally derailed this year. She certainly doesn't need to have some roughneck in her life who will only break her heart! Believe me, if you harm her again, I can make your life a living hell!"

With that, the general headed back up the stairs. Somehow facing the man who had knocked his daughter up wasn't nearly as satisfying as he thought it would be.

"Wait a minute! You said she's pregnant! You can't just come down here and tell me all of this and leave without tellin' me how she is!" Luke hit the bars to the cell that hampered his going after Jo's father in frustration. "Damn!"

~01~

Jesse walked into the courthouse, carrying the bail money for his three nephews as a man that Jesse had never seen came up from the lower level of the jail.

"How long will that man stay behind bars?" Thomas asked the deputy.

"Well as soon as he posts bail, he'll be out. Why?"

"That rotten scoundrel don't belong out from behind those bars," the general huffed.

"Well I think you're being a bit harsh there, mister," Cletus said to the stranger. "Ain't no one around these parts that really has a problem with Luke. Everyone around here knows that he's really a good guy."

"If he's such a good guy then why is he locked up in that cell down there?"

"Aw! That ain't nothin'. Just a little rough housin' when folks step out of line with his Cousin Daisy, is all. You don't mess with one Duke unless you're willin' to take on the rest of them," Cletus said with a wave of the hand as Jesse came into the courthouse and interrupted him and the stranger.

"Cletus, I'm here to get the boys out." Jesse sized up the man in front of him. He appeared a bit older than his baby brother John; which was about thirteen years younger than himself. "Is it the usual fifty a piece?"

"Yep, Uncle Jesse. You here for Jebb, too?"

"Yes I am and I ain't your uncle."

"Sorry, Un- Sorry, Jesse." Cletus looked down slightly chastised.

"You were here talkin' about one of my boys, mister. You have a problem with one of them?"

"Not as long as the one called Luke stays away from my daughter. The last thing she needs right now is to complicate her life any more than she already has."

"Luke? Daughter? You Jo's daddy?"

Thomas eyed the white-haired man in front of him. "I'm her father. If you'll excuse me, I have to leave. I only came to say my peace. Now that I have, I have to get back to Washington."

"Now hold on! Luke thinks the world of your daughter and she's good for him. I don't agree that he should stay away from her. I've been kinda hopin' that things would work out between them two."

"Heaven forbid. If I ever see that man again, it'll be too soon. And if he ever comes near my daughter again, you'll likely be burying that boy. Now I really do have to be going." With that, Thomas marched to the door as Jesse watched him leave wondering what all of that was about.

"Well, Cletus? You goin' to go get them boys or not?"

"Huh? Oh. Right, Unc- Jesse."

~01~

The next morning, Luke was busy chopping wood ignoring anyone who tried to talk to him. Why hadn't Jo told him that she was pregnant? If he'd known, hell he'd gone straight to D.C. He'd always been raised to do the right thing by a woman and with Jo that wouldn't exactly be a sacrifice. But she didn't even give him a chance.

Instead she'd gone and done the unthinkable. She'd terminated the pregnancy. She'd killed the baby. His baby!

How could she?

All of this and she hasn't called two weeks in a row! Despite everything though, he still wished that she was here. He loved that woman, wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Maybe have a family with Jo, but she didn't seem to want the same thing.

Again, everything in his head just seemed to come down to one word.

Damn!

~01~

Jo stared at the phone trying to decide whether to pick it up or not. She wanted to talk to Lukas, maybe even needed to talk to him but knew that it was going to be hard. To tell him that she'd recently learned that she was pregnant but had wanted to tell him in person but didn't get the chance before she got the measles. Then being trapped in a hospital bed for two weeks while she and the baby were monitored; and ultimately being told that the baby hadn't made it.

Reaching for the phone, Jo reckoned that she couldn't put it off any longer. She really needed to tell Lukas what all had been going on. Fair or not, he had the right to know.


	23. Facing the GateKeeper

**Chapter 23: Facing the GateKeeper**

Jo dialed the numbers that by now she knew by heart and waited for the phone to be picked up. She wasn't sure if anyone would be in the house this time on a Saturday morning but she figured that she might as well try. Just when she was about to give up, there was a voice on the other line.

_"Duke Farm, Jesse Duke speakin'. What can I do for you?"_

"Mister Duke, is Luke there," Jo asked, not sure what she wanted the answer to be.

_"He's right outside. I don't mind tellin' you this, but he's been a mite worried about you the last couple of weeks."_

"I'm sorry, I've been sick."

_"No, I'm sorry to hear that. Let me go get that boy."_

Jo heard Jesse set the phone down and then heard the sound of the screen door opening and slamming shut in the distance. Jo listened to every sound as she waited to hear the voice that she hadn't heard in nearly a month. When he finally answered, Jo was surprised to hear that he sounded mad.

_"Hello."_

"Lukas? Is something wrong?"

_"Wrong? What could be wrong? You disappear for weeks without tellin' me nothin' then I get a visit from your father-"_

"My father!" Oh God!

_"Came all the way down here just to tell me that you won't be giving birth to a baby that I didn't even know about. Tell me that he wasn't tellin' me the truth. Jo?"_

"He told you about the baby?" Jo tried to reorganize her thoughts. This wasn't going the way she thought it would.

_"So there is a baby?" _Luke's voice wavered just a bit. _"How is the... It isn't..." _Luke swallowed hard. _"When's the baby due?"_

Jo felt tears threatening to fall, "I'm so sorry, Lukas."

That was all she could say through the gag of emotion blocking her own throat. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore so she let them fall.

_"No...You couldn't have. Are you sayin' that the baby is ...dead?"_

"I'm sorry, Lukas," Jo said again in a voice barely above a whisper.

_"Sorry? Why didn't you tell me about the baby? I would have taken care of it! You didn't have to get rid of it!"_

"Wait a minute! You think that I- How can you think that? I-"

Jo looked at the phone in disbelief before hanging it up. How could he think that she'd kill their baby? Jo sat by the phone still crying when Stephanie came in to check on her.

"Jo! What's wrong?" Steph sat beside Jo on the couch and put her arms around her friend. She couldn't imagine going through what Jo was.

"He thinks I killed it. Lukas thinks that I killed our baby."

Stephanie narrowed her eyes as she held her crying friend. She may have to set Duke straight on a few things. Just as soon as she calmed Jo back down.

~01~

Luke stared at the phone. She'd hung up on him.

She'd hung up on him!

He knew that he was a bit harsh but damn it, he had a right to be upset. All night long and all morning he'd been hoping that Jo's father was wrong. That she hadn't terminated the pregnancy. That was his baby, too.

Luke hung the phone up and tried to decide if he should go back out into the main room. He knew that his uncle was waiting for him. He just wasn't sure if he was ready to face him. Yes, he'd gotten Jo pregnant, but no, there wouldn't be a rush to the altar as he'd likely thought would be happening. There wasn't a baby anymore.

Listening to the sounds coming from outside, he heard Jebb and Kira's car parking in the yard. Everyone was supposed to help Daisy with the planning of this year's Thanksgiving Weekend Festival coming up in a couple of weeks. Everyone had been ready for it when she roped them all in, Luke included, but right now planning the town's party was the last thing that he wanted to do.

Reluctantly, Luke headed on outside and sat on the porch steps as the others all sat around picnic tables going over the various activities that were already in the works. Luke wasn't paying any attention to the discussion around the table, though. He was watching as Mikey was crawling after one of the gentle hens that were strolling around the yard. He never could seem to catch up to chicken though and soon lost interest.

Instead, he crawled over to Luke when he saw him on the steps. When Mikey pulled himself into a standing position, Luke bent over to pick him up and put him in his lap.

"What would you do with a chicken anyway? Huh?" Luke chuckled at the baby as he babbled back. "Is that so?"

Over at the table, Jesse watched his oldest with the baby. He didn't have to ask. He could tell that Luke had learned from Jo that her father hadn't been telling stories after all. There was a baby but now there wasn't.

He'd been hoping that Jo's father had been blowing everything out of proportion. In fact, a baby might have given Luke the push that he needed to decide to commit to Jo. But now? He was worried that his nephew won't ever recover from this type of blow.

When the phone rang from inside, Luke went to put the baby back down but Mikey made it clear that he didn't want to be put down so Luke carried him in with him.

"Duke Farm, Luke Duke speakin'."

_"You're Luke Duke?"_ Luke heard a woman's voice that he didn't recognize on the other end of the line.

"Yes'm that's what I said. May I help you?"

_"We haven't met but I had to call. Just what did you do to Jo to have her crying by the phone when I came to check on her today? Hasn't she been through enough lately without you going at her?"_

"Listen, I don't know who you are. But I don't have to explain myself to you," Luke spoke annoyed into the phone.

_"Oh but you do! I have watched Jo for months trying to figure out where things were going with the two of you. Watched as she was too scared to tell you that she didn't take the job in D.C. and then watched her when she finally found out that she was pregnant with your baby."_

"What are you talkin' about? Of course she went to Washington. Where else would she go?"

_"She never wanted that job, Duke! Did you ever ask her what her feelings about it were?"_

Luke came up short when he realized that he hadn't. He'd just assumed that she'd wanted it when she discussed it with him. Luke shifted Mikey in his arm as he thought about how Jo had tried to talk to him about the job when she'd come back the last time she was in Hazzard.

_"She gave you a chance to ask her not to leave and you didn't, Duke. Then she didn't want to tell you about the baby over the phone. Didn't think that would be the right way to tell you about it."_

"Tell me this then, why did she terminate the pregnancy? Why kill the baby if she was planning on telling me about it?"

_"Is that what you think happened? God, you are stupid. Jo would never have done something like that! She caught the measles you moron. She's been in the hospital for two weeks because of them. The baby died because of them. She didn't kill the baby!"_

"Damn, I thought- Her father said that she terminated the pregnancy."

_"When did you talk to him?"_

"He hunted me down last night. Oh God! Where is Jo now? I gotta see her?" Luke rested the phone between his ear and shoulder as he grabbed the notepad and pen by the phone.

_"Why should I tell you? What do you intend to do?"_

"What do you mean, why? I have to apologize to her. I have to be there with her. I have to-"

_"Answer me this. She's my best friend and I won't sit back and watch you break her heart. Do you love her? Because if not, it'll be best if you broke it off with her right now."_

Luke stared at the phone. How was he going to convince a woman whom he'd never met that he really did love Jo? He had a hard time admitting it to himself, much less to his own family members. But if he wanted to have the self-appointed gatekeeper to step aside and let him go to Jo, he'd better figure it out fast.

~01~

Outside, the family was still around the table though the discussion had turned to Jebb and Kira's trip to New York. They were supposed to leave the next day since the first meeting scheduled was for Monday. Jebb complained about having to go to the big city but wasn't about to let Kira go alone.

Daisy was planning to watch after the boys for them, hoping that they'd react better to their parents' absence than they had the month before. As they were all talking, Jay crawled up and tried to get his father's attention. He wanted to see what everyone was looking at when Daisy had put some of the flyers on the table about the festival earlier. When Jebb didn't notice Jay getting unsteadily to his feet, he smacked his father's hip and hollered out to him.

"Da!"

The table all stopped as they heard the youngest Duke called out.

"What'd you say, buddy?" Jebb leaned over and picked his son up with his right arm since his left arm was back in a sling. He'd torn some ligaments in it during the fight last night.

"Da!" Jay repeated as he smacked his father again.

"Why you little traitor!" Kira laughed, "Your first word was supposed to be momma!" The table erupted in laughter.

"And here I thought that you were a momma's boy. Give me five." Jebb set the baby on the table and held up his hand for Jay to pop.

"We still have one more. Mikey might still pull off a momma first."

"Dream on, Kira. These are Duke Men. We gotta stick together." Kira rolled her eyes as Jebb looked like he was about to float on air. "Ain't that right, Jay?" Jebb then went on to tickle his youngest as Luke came back out of the house with Mikey.

"Hey, Luke! You missed it! Jay just said his first word. He called Jebb, Da!" Bo hollered out to his cousin.

"That's great," Luke said with very little enthusiasm.

"Something wrong?" Jesse asked as he came over and took the other baby away from his distraught nephew.

"I have to head up to New York. That's where Jo is. She never took that job in D.C. And the reason she lost the baby was because she caught the measles. And I accused her of..." Luke looked down ashamed. "I'm goin' to pack the car. I've got a long drive ahead of me."

Jebb exchanged a look with Kira then spoke up. "Luke, there ain't no need for you to drive all that way. Kira has to be up in New York anyway. Her plane leaves first thing in the morning. I was plannin' to go with her but you can take my seat on the plane instead."

"I don't know..." Luke wanted to get on out on the road now. Not wait until the morning.

"That sounds like a good idea, Jebb." Jesse preferred that idea to Luke racing out of here in the General Lee. "You ain't exactly in no shape to drive all that way with what you just learned."

Luke knew when he was beat. Breathing in a sigh, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I wasn't looking forward to being trapped in New York no how. I have a ticket to New York; you need to go to New York. Seems like a perfect solution to me," Jebb said to his cousin.

"Alright. Kira? Are you okay with this?" Luke asked his other cousin.

"Of course I am. Besides, I'd hate to see you tryin' to get around the Big City in the General Lee anyway," Kira said trying to lighten the mood.

"Well I'll go pack then." Luke headed on back inside. He reckoned that he wouldn't have made it all of the way up north tonight anyway.

~01~

The next morning, Bo drove Luke and Kira to the airport in Capital City and Luke nervously boarded the airplane. He'd not been on a plane larger than a crop-duster since he'd gotten back from Vietnam (and that hadn't exactly been in first class at that). Kira had gotten bulkhead seats in anticipation of having Jebb along so he had plenty of room to stretch his legs, thankfully.

Kira had brought the papers that Boss had given her to read over and was scanning through them during the flight. She'd even tried to talk to Luke about the business deal that was in the works as a way to get his mind off of things during the flight. Eventually, Kira figured that perhaps he didn't need to get it off his mind. Only get everything more organized in there instead.

"Have you figured out what you want to do?" Kira asked in hushed tones. No need to have those sitting around them eavesdropping.

"I'm not sure. I mean, why didn't she tell me that she didn't go to Washington?" Luke said more to himself than anything.

"Didn't Jo's friend answer that for you? You said that Jo was afraid of your reaction. Given her father's reaction, that's not so hard to believe."

"Maybe. I still wish that she would have trusted me enough to tell me?" Luke said under his breath.

"Maybe she tried? How did you react when she brought it up? After you thought she took it, did you ask her how she was liking the job? Did you ask her if she had any regrets?" Luke eyed Kira so she added, "Sorry, the defense rests," Kira said after realizing that she was getting close to interrogating her cousin like a suspect.

"No, I didn't do any of those things. I thought that it was best that she left and didn't want to talk about it afterwards. It hurt too much to." Luke stared out of the plane's window for a few minutes before turning back to his cousin. "Kira, what made you leave everything in Atlanta behind and go to Hazzard. I mean, I know that Bo factored in there a lot, too, but what made you decide to uproot out of Atlanta for Jebb?"

Kira studied her older cousin as she considered her answer. "When Jebb and I got married, he didn't ask me to move. In fact, he was willing to find some boring job in Atlanta to help him pass the time, even though he knew that he wouldn't have to work. Just like he doesn't have to farm now. He does it because he wants to. But I knew that he wouldn't really be happy surrounded by concrete. The fact that he was willing to do it though, that's what really clinched it. Would you be willing to stay in New York if Jo asked you to?"

"I want her to go to Hazzard," Luke said knowing that it sounded a bit lame.

"But if she won't? Are you willing to do what you want her to do? Move to be with the one that you love?"

Luke looked away, unsure of his answer.

~01~

Kira made sure that Luke had the hotel information with him when he went off in search of where Jo's friend had told him to meet her once he'd gotten to New York. She took his luggage with her since it'd be a bit bulky going all over New York with it. She'd check in and would get Luke a room of his own if he needed it. He was hoping that things would work out well enough that he wouldn't need a hotel room. But just in case, he knew that he'd have a place to stay come nightfall.

So off Luke went with his knapsack and the cab fare money that Kira insisted that he take with him. Jebb was expecting Luke to watch after his wife just like everyone was expecting Kira to look after the oldest. After all, at least Kira had been to the big city before. For Luke, this was a whole new experience.

Once Luke gave the cabbie the address that he'd been given by Stephanie, he leaned back in the back of the cab and tried to figure out just what he should say when he saw Jo. When the cab stopped, Luke was surprised that he was outside of an art gallery, not an apartment building.

"Are you sure that this is the right place?" Luke asked the cab driver.

"Yes sir. This is the right address."

"Alright." Luke paid the cabbie and got out a bit bewildered. Why would Stephanie ask him to meet her here? Heading in, he asked the woman at the receptionist desk if Stephanie was there. The woman directed him towards the latest collection a few halls away and said that Stephanie would join him there.

When Luke entered the circular room, he was struck by a sense of awe. The room was filled with paintings depicting the military throughout the country's history. There was a picture that showed the original Marines with leather bands around their necks as they fought off pirates from boarding a ship. There was a portrait of the infantry marching up San Juan Hill. There was a depiction of the Battle of Saratoga; even a painting depicting the events of Pearl Harbor.

One picture caught his eye especially. Luke recognized that picture. It was a painting of a Marine carrying out a small boy from a jungle hut. That was one of the drawings in Jo's sketch pad. Taking a look at the paintings in the room, he noticed that all of these were painted by Jo. She had her paintings hung in an actual art gallery in New York City. Luke smiled. He couldn't be more proud of her. She'd done something that most other artists could only dream about.

Walking over to the painting at the center of the collection, Luke looked at the one off to the side. It showed a Marine at a bus station. He looked like he was returning fresh from the service but there was no one there waiting for him.

He remembered how that very fear had plagued him when it came time to go home. He'd had lots of buddies that finally made it home after living through Hell in Vietnam only to become outcasts in their own hometowns. They hadn't wanted to go off to war; they'd only done what was expected of them. When those men returned to the States, they'd literally been spat upon for serving their country.

Luke was one of the lucky ones. His family was so glad to have him home, it didn't matter to them whatever he'd done while away. Even the town had been glad to have him back. He was welcomed home. Not every man who wore the uniform of service was greeted the same way when they'd returned from 'Nam.

Finally, Luke took in the center of the collection. His eyes were drawn to two distinct locations on the canvas. One being where a group of three marines were huddled together, their heads bent as if in prayer. They had on full field packs and looked tired and worn. They were dirty and disheveled. Off to the side, were a pair of boots with a gun standing up out of the right boot with a helmet resting on top of the gun's barrel. Looking at the painting, it evoked the memories of far too many scenes that he himself had lived through when one of his team members hadn't completed a mission alive. He'd seen far too many guns standing at attention while in the Marines.

Blinking back the tears that threatened to fall, Luke leaned in to read the name of the painting. Appropriately, it was called _**The Price of Freedom**_. Luke stepped back almost reverently. As if any haste movement would disturb the Marines in the portrait as they bid one last goodbye to their fallen comrade.

Little did Luke know, though, he was being watched for his reactions to Jo's paintings. Jo had poured her heart and soul into these paintings. If Stephanie was going to tell Duke where he could find her, then she wanted to see his reactions to them. Wanted to know if he'd support her in her artwork. It was obvious what her father thought of her paintings. But if Luke shared the same opinion as the general it would crush her. And right now, it wouldn't take much to see her break. Stepping forward, Stephanie walked over to Luke.

"You must be Luke, I'm Stephanie."


	24. Out of Guilt or Out of Love?

**Chapter 24: Out of Guilt or Out of Love?**

Luke turned as he saw a petite brunette entering the hall where Jo's paintings were being displayed.

"So you're Stephanie?" She seemed to be sizing Luke up. Trying to decide if she was going to allow him to see Jo. She nodded as she extended a hand towards Luke who took it in his own. "Where's Jo? Is she here?"

"She doesn't know that you're here. I wanted to see you first. Get a chance to see what kind of guy you are. What do you think of her paintings?"

Despite himself, Luke grinned as he took in the evidence of Jo's talent. "They're great. Her father is a fool if he can't see how talented his daughter is."

Stephanie smiled at the response. She'd talked to Luke on the phone for nearly half an hour yesterday after she'd gone through Jo's address book. But seeing his face, his reactions to Jo paintings; that told her more than his words alone could.

"Well, that is one thing that we agree on. Let's go to my office and we'll talk a bit more. There may be more that we agree on."

Luke followed the woman through the museum and glanced at the other paintings as he went. He may be just a bit biased, but none of them seemed half as good as Jo's did to him.

"How long has Jo's paintings been on display?"

"Less than a week. The opening was on Veterans' Day. My father felt that playing up on her time in the Marines would help in gaining interest in them. We've already gotten three buyers for some of the paintings. I just wish that Jo could have been here for the opening."

"But she was in the hospital," Luke said as he remembered Stephanie telling him about Jo's battle with the measles.

Stephanie nodded, "That was also the day that the baby..."

Luke nodded as he swallowed. He understood, she didn't have to say it. "How is she? Is she alright?"

"Physically, she's still recovering from the measles. She isn't contagious anymore, though. Emotionally, she's hanging on by a thread." Stephanie informed the dark-haired man who had just flown up to see Joanna.

Luke then listened to a more detailed account of the last few months as she filled him in on everything that he hadn't known about. Right down to the last week when Jo learned of the baby's death and then her reaction to her conversation with him. That last part broke Luke's heart. When he thought about what he'd said to her when she was already vulnerable. There wasn't enough that he could do to make up for that.

~01~

Jo sat on the couch, eying the phone again. Maybe she should try to talk to Lukas again. Maybe he'd be more willing to listen to her today. If only she could explain to him what had happened. Maybe then he wouldn't be so upset with her. She'd hate to think that everything was over between them. But he'd been so sure that she'd killed the baby. He'd been so upset. Does that mean that he wanted to have a baby with her? Luke was good with kids. She'd seen that when he was with his cousins' sons. And they adore him, too.

Jo was pulled from her musings by a knock at the door. If it was Stephanie, she would have just used her key. Looking at the clock, she wasn't expecting anyone. After taking a glance through the peep hole, she swore her eyes were playing tricks on her. Opening the door, Jo found Luke standing there looking very nervous in the hall of her apartment building. Jo just stood in the doorway staring at the man that she had considered calling just moments before.

"Lukas?" Jo whispered almost as if he'd disappear if she spoke too loud.

"I'm sorry, Angel," Luke quietly said, knowing that there was so much more that needed to be said.

Jo moved forward and wrapped her arms around his waist as he pulled her to him. After a couple of Jo's neighbors walked by staring at the couple in the hall, Jo pulled back and asked Luke into the apartment. It was a small studio style apartment. Jo made her way to the couch and sat on one end and turned sideways to face Luke on the other end.

"How did you know where to find me?"

"You can thank Stephanie for that. She called me yesterday and made me realize just what kind of a numskull I've been. She's quite protective of you, ya know," Luke said with a smirk.

"She called you?" Jo let out a small smile. "I should have known."

"She had me meet her at the museum." Jo looked up at Luke, apprehension on her face. "I'm impressed. I knew that you were good, but I didn't realize just how good."

Jo let out a breath as she felt relieved that Luke liked her paintings. "I tried to tell you about not taking the job in D.C. but it never seemed to be a good time."

"I know. Steph explained everything. From the job offer to the measles." The mention of her illness brought tears to Jo's eyes. Luke pulled Jo into his arms as he leaned back against the couch. "I'm so sorry, Darlin'. I should've had more faith in you. Will you forgive me for being such a jackass?"

Jo hugged Luke tighter to herself. Having Luke here was more than she thought would happen. He was here and was sorry for thinking the worst of her. Maybe there was a chance for them after all.

"There's something I should have told you before you left Hazzard the last time." Luke pulled back, forcing Jo to look up at him. "I love you, Angel. I have for a long time."

Jo gave Luke a look of shock before leaning in to kiss him. She didn't think that she'd ever hear him say those words.

"I love you, too."

~01~

Kira grinned as she hung up the phone. It looked like Luke wouldn't be needing that hotel room after all. Picking the phone back up, she called Jebb to check in with him before turning in. She'd listened to both boys babble on the other end of the line. Jebb was having fun getting Jay to call him Da again while trying to get Mikey to do the same even though he seemed to call everything Da instead of just Jebb.

Out of the two babies, no one would have guessed that Jay would be the first to actually speak with a purpose and Kira wasn't about to let on any different.

Kira then passed on word on how things seemed to be going between Luke and Jo. Jebb was relieved that his giving up his seat on the plane hadn't been for nothing. Of course he'd rather be able to keep a watch over his wife while she was in New York but he'd just have to trust that her street smarts that she'd developed when she was younger would serve her well while away from Hazzard.

In the meantime, there would be nearly a week that both Kira and Luke would be away from the small town and none of the other Dukes would really be able to relax until they were both home safe and sound.

~01~

Luke hated that Jo had to take sleeping pills to help her go to sleep after that she'd gone through in recent weeks. After she took the pills, Luke held her as she drifted off to sleep after they'd had a long talk. Even with the pills though, it was clear that Jo's sleep was not entirely dreamless. Luke pulled her a bit closer to him before he drifted off himself.

One thing that Luke was certain of as he lain there, though, was that he wasn't going to risk losing Jo again. He was lucky that she forgave him for being such a fool. He wished that he could take her back to Hazzard with him. But after everything else that had happened, did he even have the right to ask her to go? As he started to doze, he kept replaying various conversations that he'd had over the last couple of months in his head.

_**"Luke, do you really want to end up old and alone? Do you want to end up looking back on your life and think about the could have beens?"**_

_**"If you really love a woman, where you end up laying your head down at the end of the day won't matter half as much as the fact that it's where she is too."**_

_**"Are you willing to do what you want her to do? Move to be with the one that you love?"**_

_**"If you love that girl, Luke, don't sit back and wait for regret to take hold."**_

~01~

The next morning, Luke tried to convince Jo that she still wasn't up to going into work. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be getting very far with her.

She felt a bit uneasy somehow around Luke this morning. They'd talked some last night about the last few months. It seemed that a lot of what had happened so far that had caused them so much trouble was due to one miscommunication after another. It was all straightened out now but she still felt hurt that Luke could assume that she'd just discard their baby like an old dress that she was tired of.

Jo did tell him that the main reason for her delay in telling him about the baby was that she didn't want to appear like she was trying to trap him into marriage like she knew some of the women in his past would have tried to of done. Luke then had made a smart remark that that it would have been a trap that he wouldn't have minded being sprung. She knew that he was trying to make her feel better, though a part of her was still vexed at even the appearance of forcing Luke into marrying her out of duty. She'd rather grow to be an old maid than do that.

"I've been out too long as it is. I've missed two weeks already. I can't afford to stay home any longer."

"You know that Stephanie won't be expectin' you in today. She'll likely be mad if you force yourself into going in to work today."

"Well I'm tired of just sitting around," Jo said since other than the hospital she hadn't really been out of her apartment in three weeks.

"Who's says that you have to just sit around?" Luke grinned at Jo while he watched her getting dressed from the couch. Jo eyed Luke at the comment and gave him questioning look. "I didn't mean it like that. You're still recovernin' from being sick. I just meant that maybe we could take in some of the sights. I ain't ever been to New York. What do ya say about being my tour guide? Just to a couple of places. I don't want 'cha to get too tired."

"I don't know..."

"Call Steph to see what she thinks you should do."

"You seem pretty sure of what she'll say. How come?" Jo said crossing her arms as she starred at Luke.

Luke shrugged, "Just the impression I got from her. I have the feelin' that if I hadn't passed the muster, she would have sent me packin' and let me go all of the way back to Hazzard without telling me where you were. She seems like a good friend."

"She is. We've been friends for years longer than I've even known you. I was lucky that her folks run the museum. They gave me both a job and a chance for my own show."

"And since she's such a good friend, she'll tell you to take the day off." Luke gave Jo a crooked smile.

"You're going to stick out in New York like a sore thumb."

"Which is why I'll need a chaperone to see to it that I don't get in to trouble. I'd hate to call over to Kira's hotel room needing bail money," Luke said with a slow grin.

"In that case, I'd better do the city of New York a favor and keep a tight rein on you." Jo gave a small smile in Luke's direction.

"See. It's your civic duty to keep a close eye on the roughneck scoundrel that came to town just to see you." Luke chuckled as he got up and put his arms around Jo from behind her. She leaned back against Luke enjoying the feeling of his arms around her. Right up until he stiffened behind her.

"What's wrong?" Jo twisted around to face Luke.

"That comment I made about the bail money."

"What about it?" Jo searched Luke's face for an answer.

"Would you care to take a guess at just how your father and I met for the first time?"

Jo eyed Luke for a second, "By the look on your face I don't think that I do."

"I had ended up in jail after some out-of-towners were givin' Daisy a hard time."

"Oh no!" Jo groaned.

"Oh yes. I was behind bars when your father decided to hunt me down."

Jo was caught between being mortified and finding the fact that Luke had been locked up when her father had went in search of the man who had gotten her pregnant absolutely hilarious. Needing a good laugh, Jo surrendered to the hilarity of it and started to giggle.

"You think that's funny, do you?"

"Come on, Luke. You've said yourself that you've spent so much time in that cell that you'd swear that the mattress had form fitted to your body long ago. Where else would you have been given the situation? You probably should be glad that you were safely tucked away behind bars. When I saw him last, he looked mad enough to strangle you."

"Well I wasn't exactly glad to see him myself. Of course, there will always be a chance for him to strangle me later. Like when I talk to him about gettin' his permission to marry you right and proper."

"What?"

"That is if you will agree to marry me."

"Lukas, you don't have to do this. I mean, there isn't any reason for you to feel like you have to-"

Luke kissed Jo to get her to stop talking for a moment. Jo closed her eyes and felt herself mold up against Luke as he rested his hands on her hips. Pulling back, Luke lifted her chin so her eyes met his.

"Jo, there is a reason. I love you and I don't want to risk losin' you again. Plain a simple. You ain't got to decide right now. Alright?"

Jo nodded as he pulled her back to him. This was the last thing that she expected this morning. To talk about marriage. But how could she know that he wasn't asking her out of guilt?

~01~

Jebb was sitting at the kitchen table with his cousins as his uncle told him what he wanted to do.

"Don't you think that you're jumpin' the gun a bit, Uncle Jesse? I mean, what makes you so sure that Luke's goin' to ask Jo to marry him?"

"Cause he had the same look in his eyes when he talked about Jo just before he headed out as you did when I first talked to you about Kira. That's how." Jesse crossed his arms at the insinuation that he didn't know what he was talking about.

"I think it's a great idea," Daisy piped in as she let the twins out of their high chair after they'd finished their lunch.

"You would." Bo smirked. If Luke knew that the family was all gathered around the table discussing his love life he'd kill them all.

"Well, come on. Even if Luke won't need a place to bring back a bride, if won't hurt none to modernize that old cabin a bit." Daisy latched onto the idea of remodeling the old cook cabin on the other end of the property. "Besides, we all know that Luke goes there all of the time anyway. So it's not like it wouldn't get used."

"That's right. And I've already looked into just what type of shape it's in. It should be pretty simple. Plus we could even add onto it a bit later on if we need to." And something told Jesse that they just might need to. Because if there was one thing that Duke Men could take pride in, it was their ability in making babies.

"One glitch in the plan, Uncle Jesse. My arm's back in this sling. I ain't exactly goin' to be able to haul any lumber down to the cabin. Much less be of much help otherwise."

"That's alright. You just see if you can keep Luke up in New York a few extra days. You let me worry about gettin' enough folks to help. I've already got some help comin' in as it is," Jesse said.

"I still think that Luke is goin' to flip when he gets back." Bo leaned his chair back onto its rear legs as his uncle gave him a disapproving look. Putting the chair back on all fours sheepishly, Bo added, "I agree with Jebb that this is movin' a bit fast. We should wait for Luke to come back. Then ask him if he wants us to go through all of this trouble for him."

"That mean that you don't intend to help, boy?" Jesse gave his nephew a look that Bo knew all too well.

"Nah, I'll help. I still think that it's a bit silly, but I'll help."

"Alright, now here's how I figure that we'll do this." Jesse leaned in to explain the renovations to his niece and nephews.


	25. Pondering a Proposal

**Chapter 25: Pondering a Proposal**

When Jebb told Kira what everyone back in Hazzard was doing, she got a bit worried that they just might send Luke back pedaling if he found out too soon. But as far as keeping Luke in New York a bit longer, well that shouldn't be so hard. He was coming over to the hotel to get his luggage this morning.

Kira's meeting today wasn't until after lunch so she figured that it would be a good day for him to come since he'd not been able to keep Jo out of work again today. She was really anxious to try to go about her life as normal as possible after the miscarriage. The doctor had told her to trust herself as far as when she was ready to go back and right frankly, she needed some space away from Luke to think about his proposal.

When Luke got to the room, he looked like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders since she'd seen him on Sunday.

"You seem to be in a good mood. You must have liked the side of the bed that you woke up on this mornin'."

"I just liked the bed I woke up in this mornin' period. Forget about which side."

Kira laughed as she stepped aside to let her cousin into the room. "So I'm assumin' that this means that you and Jo have patched things up?"

"You could say that."

"Good 'cause when I called home, Jesse told me to tell you to invite Jo to Thanksgiving. And if you ain't plannin' on doin' it, you're goin' to be the one to tell him. Not me."

"I hadn't given that much thought to Thanksgivin'. I don't know. Maybe that wouldn't be the best time to ask Jo to go back to Hazzard. You just know what the family'll do if I ask her to Thanksgivin'. Plus, I don't want to scare her off. Especially right now," Luke said as he thought about taking Jo home to meet the rest of the family.

Kira lifted her brows as she took one of the chairs in the room. "And what's so special about now? Spill, Luke."

Luke took the other chair before replying, "I asked Jo to marry me."

Kira studied Luke's face, "But she didn't say yes?"

"Not yet. I told her to wait to give me her answer. I know that I hurt her, and she probably thinks that I only asked her because I'd gotten her pregnant."

"But?"

"But I was already doin' some thinkin' along these lines long before I even knew that I'd gotten her pregnant. But I'm not sure that Jo would have believed me if I told her that," Luke said as he heaved a sigh.

"Does that mean that you're willin' to alter your life for her?"

"I'd still prefer to stay in Hazzard, but if I have to stay here instead...It'll be worth it."

Kira grinned at the admission of her oldest cousin and teased, "I think that the hearts of hundreds of women in Georgia just broke at one time."

"They'll live. They still have your brother to chase after."

"I think he's gonna need to up his vitamin intake to keep up with the demand. That or we're goin' to have to import some of the other Duke Boys to help out."

Both cousins started to laugh at the idea of Bo being the lone Duke Boy left in Hazzard as they headed down the block for a quick lunch. As the two talked over their meal, Luke started to chuckle to himself as Kira went on about how Jesse got the court hearing for the small skirmish out at the bar to be set after Thanksgiving since the judge was going to be out of town this week and no one wanted to deal with that kind of stuff the week of Thanksgiving while everyone would have relatives in town.

Kira was surprised that he bought that excuse that Jesse had told her to use after he'd spoken with the judge about the family's need to keep Luke out of Hazzard for the week but didn't really find it all that funny.

"Luke, what are you laughing at?"

"I just thought of somethin'. Your accent has gotten a lot stronger since you married Jebb and moved to Hazzard. I'm tryin' to imagine you in a room full of these northern lawyers."

"I can control my accent if I want. But I've chosen not to. I walked in; they automatically wanted to deduct fifty points off of my IQ. I guess that the southern accent isn't exactly the most intelligent soundin' accent in the world. They thought that they could slicker me. I liked the looks on their faces when we started to get down to dickering on the finer points of the deal. I think they'll be a bit more wary about me today."

"I know I'd be." The dark-haired Duke snickered.

~01~

Jesse heard from Luke and he'd said that he planned to stay in New York until next week. And he'd be bringing Jo in when he came home for Thanksgiving. Jesse was practically beside himself wanting to know if there'd be an announcement when they got to Hazzard. At least the delay would give the family the needed time to finish the wiring and plumbing of the old cook cabin. Checking on the progress, Coy walked over to Jesse and took a sip out of a glass of lemonade that the older Duke had brought with him to the cabin.

"How come it seems that every time Vance and I come to town, there's a buildin' project that needs our help?"

"Well, that's what happens when folks go to settlin' down. You can't expect everyone to stay under the same roof once they go and get hitched. Maybe the next buildin' project will be for you, Coy."

"Don't count on it, Uncle Jesse," Coy said as he put his glass down and headed back where Bo and Vance were working.

~01~

Kira finished her business up and figured that she might as well as do a bit of sight-seeing on her last full day in New York. Unfortunately, the weather decided that it wasn't going to cooperate with her. Wanting to get out of the sudden down pour, Kira hailed a taxi as the rain started to soak her suit. When she got in the cab, a windfall of curiosity hit her. She directed the cabbie to take her to the museum that Jo worked at.

Looking at the time, the blonde was bound to be at her apartment by now with Luke. Kira was just dying to take a look at Jo's paintings. When she got into the museum, it became apparent that she wasn't the only patron escaping the rain outside.

Going to the desk, Kira asked which direction she should go to find the Hart Collection. When she reached the circular hall that contained the paintings Kira took her time going from one painting to the next. Kira was drawn to the more modern depictions of the Marines on the canvases. There was something in them that called to her.

She hadn't known Luke when he was in the Marines but looking at some of the paintings that depicted various bits of Marine life, Kira felt that they helped her understand the parts of his life that he rarely talked about. Kira was so lost in the art that she was surprised when she heard her name.

Kira turned to see Jo walking up behind her. "Jo? I sort of thought that you'd be gone by now. I'm sure that Luke is waiting for you back at your place."

"I know. I got delayed a bit. What do you think?" Jo indicated to the paintings.

"I can see why Luke raved about them when I had lunch with him yesterday. They each seem to pull at various emotions. That's not something that I'm used to when I go to an art gallery. I'm not sure how you managed that but you definitely seem to have a talent for it."

"Luke talked to you about the paintings?" Jo asked a bit surprised.

"He certainly did. You should have seen his face light up when he was telling me about them. Of course that glow might be partially because he loves you so much."

"He told you that?"

"I think that the family figured it out before he did, Jo. You know how he is. He's not one to go tripping over himself to show his feelings for anyone; though I'd say he's come close to doing that now. The whole flight up he couldn't think about anything else but you," Kira told the other woman.

"Because he was feeling guilty."

"Partially. Mostly because he was afraid. An emotion that that cousin of mine doesn't let himself feel very often."

"Afraid?" Jo was a bit skeptical of that.

"He'd been wading through trying to figure out just where he wanted things to go with you since you first came around earlier in the year. Just when he was ready to do something about it, he lost contact with you, going three weeks between phone calls and all. Then he was afraid that he'd ruined things with you when he talked to you Saturday," Kira said as she thought about all the time the family had watched Luke deal with his inner battle.

"Wait a minute; you said that he figured it out before I went to the hospital?"

"From what I gather by the way he talked to both my husband and brother. Then from what he said on the flight up and at lunch yesterday..."

Kira saw the wheels turning in Jo's head. She thought that Luke had decided to pop the question solely because of the baby. Miscarriage or not, Luke was still likely to want to do right by her for that reason alone.

"Jo, one thing that you might want to get used to right now. Duke Men are born with one foot in their mouths. But they are really good at apologizing for any misstep that they make afterwards. Not to mention that Duke Men are more loyal than an old dog. If Luke wants to marry you, he'll never give you a reason to not trust him. In fact, as far as I know, he hasn't so much as looked at another woman since you two have gotten together."

"I find that a little hard to believe. I've been up here in New York for months," Jo said with a slight laugh.

"Believe it or not, I won't try to convince you," Kira smirked.

Yeh, she remembered how hard she found it to believe that Jebb wasn't going out with other women when she was in Cambridge. She knew that there would be nothing that she could say that could convince Jo that Luke's fidelity was genuine. That was something that only Luke himself could do.

"So, you think that there is more to Luke's proposal than guilt?" Jo asked.

Kira gave Jo a small smile. "Trust me; I doubt that Luke would ever take a step like this out of guilt. He even said that he'd be willing to come here to be with you. And I'm not talking about just for a visit, either. He's willing to leave Hazzard. Believe me. That's no small thing for Luke."

Jo blanched at Kira. She had no idea that Luke had discussed leaving Hazzard. She knew that he'd never wanted to leave the town again once he and Bo returned from their year away on the NASCAR circuit. But according to his cousin, he was willing to do just that. For her.

~01~

Jo decided to try to see if she'd be able to sleep without the sleeping pills tonight. She didn't like taking them, especially with Luke there. She hated zoning out on him, even if he was being understanding. She wanted to get one more step back to normal. That meant not getting doped up to get some sleep.

Now Jo was curled up next to Luke listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing while she thought about her discussion with Luke's cousin before coming home. Back in the summer, she would have been willing to stay in Hazzard if Luke had asked her to. Now it appeared that Luke was willing to come to New York instead.

Jo tried to imagine Luke in New York all of the time. Right frankly, the image that popped into her head made her chuckle. A man like Luke didn't belong so far away from the country. If he came here permanently, he'd waste away and die. And Hazzard, while being a bit backwards in some areas, had a certain charm all of its own.

Jo supposed that this was one more thing that she should discuss with Stephanie. Though considering what she'd already told Jo when she got to work and told her about Luke's proposal, Jo was pretty sure that Steph will race over to the apartment to help her pack the moment that she told her that she was now considering going to Georgia.

Jo snuggled down closer and looked at the clock and groaned. It was clear that she should have taken those sleeping pills but it was too late to do anything about it now. She'll just have to pay for her own stubbornness tomorrow at work.

~01~

Kim was in the office tending to one of the kids in town who had fallen out of a tree and broken his arm when the phone rang in the next office over. She heard her uncle pick it up as she gave the parents of the young boy instructions on how to take care of the broken limb. Once the family left, Kim walked over to her uncle's office and overheard his conversation on the phone.

"No, that'll be okay Ted...Well I'm not sure if Kimberly will be here for Thanksgiving or not...No, I haven't talked to her about it...Well..." Irving Appleby glanced at his niece as he spoke on the phone. "Yes, it'll be the usual time...Alright, I'll see you then...Bye." Irving hung the phone up as his niece walked into his office.

"Ted's coming to Thanksgiving?" Kim asked as she tried to keep her voice from cracking.

"Well I couldn't exactly tell him that he couldn't come, now could I? He's come to nearly every family function for the last four years. Even when you were overseas. He doesn't have family of his own. Kimberly, I don't know what happened between you two. I ain't ever asked. It wasn't my place, but I've been a bit concerned by some of the things that Ted's told me over the last year."

"Uncle Irving, I'll not be here if that man comes to Hazzard. I don't want to see him," Kim said trying to tamper down the panic that threatened to choke her.

"Kimberly, you know how this family feels about divorce. I don't know why you chose not to try to make things work with Ted, but according to him, you didn't even tell him that you were leaving. Says that you took off while he was off at work without sayin' a word to him. Then you didn't even show up at court when you divorced him. Now I think that the least that you could have done was to let the man know why you left."

"Ted knows exactly why I left, Uncle Irving. Once I left, I had no desire to see him again. I'm sorry if the family disapproves of my divorce, but I don't have to go explainin' myself to everyone." Kim said as she tried to gather her thoughts. "When is Ted comin' to town?"

Doc Appleby sighed as he could already see that his niece had made up her mind on the subject of her ex-husband. He'd hoped that the two could work through any differences that they had. No one in their family had ever gotten a divorce before Kimberly walked out on her own marriage.

"He's coming in this weekend," Irving said sounding a bit defeated when he saw that Kim was determined not to see her ex-husband.

"Alright. Just do me a favor, don't tell him that I moved here to Hazzard. I'll be leaving out first thing in the morning."

Kim left her uncle's office and went to her own and shut the door before practically collapsing against it as she slipped to the floor. Now to just figure out where she was going to go in the morning.

~01~

Kira walked into the house and stopped just short of tossing her bags down when she realized that Jebb had fallen asleep on the couch as both boys were playing with their blocks at his feet. Kira put her bags down beside the door and crept in as quietly as she could. When the boys saw her sneaking in, Mikey started to bounce on his bottom while he called out to her.

"Muh, Muh, Muh!" Kira laughed quietly as she went to her oldest.

"How come you only do that when no one else can hear you, huh?" Kira snatched up both boys and gave them both hugs and carried them both upstairs and got them ready for bed.

When Kira got back downstairs and saw that Jebb was still sawing logs, she figured that she'd have a bit of fun. She moved her bags into the next room leaving the wooden door to the porch open and went to the kitchen and slammed the screen door. Then she watched as Jebb jolted awake and started to look for both of the babies. He jumped up and went out to the porch and started to call both of the boys' names and when he came back in he had a look of sheer panic on his face. Kira started to laugh as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Oops. I'm sorry. I didn't wake you up did I?" Kira kept laughing as Jebb still tried to figure out where the boys were.

"When did you get in?" Jebb asked as he still scanned the room for the boys.

"Daisy dropped me off about fifteen minutes ago. If you're lookin' for the boys, I already took them upstairs. They didn't give you any trouble while I was gone, did they? After all, you had Daisy to help out most of the time."

"You'd think that twins would want to do more of the same things at the same time."

Kira gave Jebb a hug and said, "Poor baby. I could see that they wore you out."

"I swear I only went to sit down for a minute," Jebb said exhausted.

"It's funny how those minutes can get away from you. How are things coming along with the cabin?"

"I think they're almost done. Daisy and I went out to Capital City with the boys to pick out the new appliances and furniture. Since I couldn't help out with the actual work, at least I could make sure that the cabin had some nice stuff in it," Jebb said as he pulled his wife in for a hug for the first time in over a week.

"I'm surprised that you went with Daisy to pick it all out. You could have just called the store and told them to let her pick out whatever she wanted." Kira went over to the couch and curled up with her husband after being gone a week.

"Are you kiddin'? I couldn't picture Luke sitting on the furniture that Daisy wanted. I think we came to a good compromise. It would have helped if we knew Jo's style though. So, do you think that all of this work will be for nothin' or what?"

"Well, Luke did ask Jo to marry him, but she still hasn't given him an answer. Luke told her to take her time decidin'. I think that we might end up with a new Duke soon. Whether or not they'll be here in Hazzard, though, is what I'm uncertain about."

"You really think that Luke would move up to New York?" Jebb asked his wife.

"If he had to; I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens."


	26. Permission Granted

**Chapter 26: Permission Granted**

"Aw. Come on. You know that you want to marry the guy. Why put yourself through all of this torture. Tell him that you will and get it over with. Then we can start planning out the wedding." Stephanie was talking to Jo as she was waiting for Luke to come by so they could go out for lunch together.

"I just want to be sure, is all. Yes, I want to marry him. And according to his cousin, he's wanted to marry me even before he found out about the pregnancy."

"So what's the problem? He asked you to marry him, you want to marry him. He's a good guy, and it's clear that he adores you."

"You're right. I guess I'm just still a bit hurt is all."

"Well both of you take part of the blame for everything that's happened so far. Just get it over with. You'll feel better once you go ahead and tell Duke your answer. You've probably got him so nervous waiting on your answer that he can't think straight. I mean, it's been over a week and you two are heading out to go see his family tomorrow. You're not really going to make him wait any longer are you?"

"I suppose I should tell him my answer before we drive down to Georgia. We've got a long drive ahead of us and it might be best to not have him distracted on the way."

Jo bit her lip as she looked at the clock wondering what was taking Luke so long to come by so that they could go to lunch.

~01~

Luke got ready to head out to meet Jo and heard a knock at the door. Glancing at the clock, he knew that he was already late meeting Jo for lunch. He'll have to tell who ever was at the door to come back later when Jo was here. Opening the door, Luke got ready to head out but he came up short when he came face to face with General Thomas Hart.

"You! What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to leave my little girl alone?"

"General." Luke was taken aback when the older man grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back into the apartment. Luke fought the natural urge to deck the man and merely backed up against the wall as Jo's father seethed at the sight of the man who had gotten his daughter pregnant. "I had to come and check on Jo."

Luke eyed the hands that were still on his shoulders, he could take the general on as unwise as it would be, but judging by the power that the man was using to pin him back, he hadn't exactly suffered from the years of paper pushing that the general had been regulated to over the last few years. The lifelong Marine obviously has kept in shape.

"What you had to do was stay away. Where is Joanna anyway?" Thomas glanced around the room and saw the evidence that Luke had been planning to leave the apartment."

"She's at work. I was heading out to meet her for lunch." Luke did his best to try to keep his cool. If things worked out the way he hoped they would, he was facing his future father-in-law. "Why don't you come along? I'm sure that Jo will be surprised to see you."

"Not nearly as surprised as I am to see you. If you know what's best for you, you'll head back to that farm town of yours now," the general barked at the man in front of him.

"We were heading out tomorrow morni-"

"We? You can't be serious. How did you get my daughter to agree to go back there with you?"

Luke placed a hand on each of the general's and removed them from his shoulders, allowing his own strength to silently make itself known. Both men continued to stare at one another for several seconds.

"General, I don't want to argue with you. If I did, the only thing that it would accomplish would be to hurt Jo. I don't want to do that."

"Then we'll skip the argument and just agree that you'll leave her alone," Thomas said in a dismissive way.

"I can't do that, sir. I love her. I intend to marry her."

"You what?" Thomas's eyes went wide as Luke spoke. "You can't be serious!"

"Very. I was hoping to talk to you about that. I plan to marry Jo, but I was raised to go to a girl's father first. I'd like to have your blessing."

"You have to be kidding. My daughter can do better than a moonshining farmer."

"Yes she can. But won't no one treat her better. Won't no one love her more." Thomas glared at the man in front of him. Despite not liking the man, he had to admire the boldness that he showed. "I'd like to have your permission to marry your daughter, sir."

"And if I don't give it?"

"As long as your daughter will have me, I still plan to marry her. But it'll be easier on Jo if she knew that you were okay with this."

Thomas backed away from Luke as he considered the man and what he was saying. Walking toward the window, he turned around and studied Luke. After a long silence, he finally spoke up again.

"You were a Marine. According to your service record, you showed promise. Why did you only serve one tour?"

"I had family that needed me back home. We're really close. My deployment was just as hard on them as it was on me. They counted the days down 'til I could come home."

"And if you get married, what then?"

"Then, it will be Jo's choice. If she wants to stay here, then this is where we'll stay." Luke's jaw began to work overtime as he waited for the general's next question.

"You've gotten quite a reputation with women. I want to be assured that you'll be faithful to her."

"Dukes don't ever betray the trust of the ones that they love. I'll admit I ain't been a choir boy, sir. But I swear, from this day on, there will never be another woman that could even tempt me."

Luke watched as Jo's father crossed his arms as he studied the man who had the nerve defy him. He was waiting for Luke to start sweating and he knew it.

"You've got balls. I'll give you that much. To stand there like that, standing up to me."

Thomas continued to walk the apartment as he thought about the man who wanted to marry his daughter. Looking down on the side table next to the couch, he saw a set of pictures that Jo and Luke had made at a photo booth. They'd obviously gone sightseeing together since Luke's been in town. The general studied the pictures, especially Jo's face in them.

He glanced back up at the former Marine who had subconsciously slipped into a military stance while waiting for him to continue. Putting the pictures down, General Hart walked back over to the dark haired man who was asking for his permission to marry his daughter.

Getting up close to Luke to stare directly into the man's eyes, he finally spoke. "If my daughter wants to marry you I can't stop her. As long as you treat her right, I'll have no problem with you. We'll get along just fine. But if you ever hurt her, I'll kill you. And I know how to dispose of the body. Understood?"

"Fair enough, sir," Luke sighed inwardly. That was easier than he thought it would be.

~01~

Jo was about to call the apartment to see what was taking Luke so long to get to the museum when she looked up and saw a sight that she'd never would have expected. Luke was walking in with her father. Looking at both men, it didn't look like they'd shed any blood so far.

"Luke? What are you two doing together?"

"Your father came over for a chat," Luke said breezily.

Jo turned and looked to her father for any indication of how he was taking finding Luke here in New York. Especially knowing how those two first met.

"I've been invited to lunch, Joanna. That is, if that's alright with you?" Thomas said as he walked up.

"Huh?" Jo exchanged a look with Luke then glanced back Stephanie who only shrugged. "Oh, um, sure. I just wasn't expecting this, is all."

"Luke and I have come to an understanding with one another. He also convinced me that I should take a look at your paintings here."

"Oh, well, I'll show you where they are-"

"I think Stephanie can show me. I think I'd like to take a look at them alone; that will give you a chance to interrogate Lukas here about our discussion."

Jo watched as her father walked off with Stephanie, practically sweating bullets as he left. Luke put an arm around Jo's shoulders and pulled her to him.

"You want to tell me what you two talked about?" Jo looked up at Luke's face.

"You. What else?" Luke let himself relax slightly after the general was out of sight.

"Well I kind of figured that much out myself."

"I asked him for his permission to marry you."

Jo pulled back and turned to face Luke. "What? And you're still standing? How did you manage that?"

"Like he told you, we came to an understandin'. I promised not to hurt you ever again, he promised that if I did there wouldn't be enough left of me to bury." Luke smirked figuring that most men hear a similar line from daddies when they decide to get married to the little girls of those men. Though General Hart was probably one of the few men who could actually carry out that threat. "He said that **if** you want to marry me, then he won't stop you. So I guess the question still stands; do you want to marry me?"

"After facing what very well could have been a firing squad, how can I not marry you?" Jo smiled up at Luke.

"You mean it?" Luke could practically feel his heart stop as searched Jo's face just to make sure that he'd heard her right.

"Of course I mean it. I really do love you. And if there was any doubt left, facing my father alone took care of it."

Luke picked Jo up and spun her around then gave her a deep kiss. He'd been waiting on her answer for more than a week, now that he had it he couldn't believe how much of a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

~01~

General Thomas Hart walked into the circular hall where his daughter's artwork was on display. What he saw, he wasn't prepared for. Each canvass seemed to be alive with the scenes that were painted on them. As he glanced around, he saw several small, very discreet markers that indicated that various paintings in the hall were already sold. Thomas did a double take when he saw just what prices were being asked for the paintings. And they were being met.

When he made his way to the center of the collection, he thought back to his earlier years in the Marines. Remembered the men that he'd fought beside, lived beside, and stood beside while they died. No artist had ever captured those moments in a way that his daughter had. These were moments that a civilian could never paint in the right spirit because they'd never lived them. They were never able to capture the intangible that you only know is missing if you've lived these experiences. And to think that he didn't think that her work belonged in a gallery. It would seem that he had an apology to make.

Her work didn't belong anywhere else.

~01~

"You know that the moment we show up, my Uncle Jesse is going to want to know if we have a date in mind. What do you think?"

"I don't know. When would be a quiet time on the farm that could use a little shaking up? There's so much to do for a wedding and I know that spring is a bad time with planting and all."

Luke shot a glance at Jo from behind the wheel of Jo's car. "Planting? You mean that you want to live in Hazzard?"

"Where else would we live?" Jo asked as if the answer was obvious.

"I wasn't sure if you'd want to leave New York or not."

"Lukas, New York couldn't handle you on a full time basis. Besides, there is no way I could separate you from your family. I know full well what they mean to you. Now I'll stay in New York until the wedding but I know that you belong in Hazzard."

Luke gave Jo the brightest smile that she'd ever seen. He'd been worried how he'd handle being away from the rest of the family, especially Bo. He really hadn't looked forward to being alone (except for Jo) in a strange city. Now he won't have to worry about that. He's going to get to stay in Hazzard and he'll get to have Jo with him. How could life possibly get any better?

"How long do you think that it will take to plan a wedding?" Luke asked through his grin.

"I don't know. I've never thought about it. I do know that it takes time to get a dress made. Let's see, Stephanie will obviously be my Maid of Honor. I suppose that Daisy and Kira would be the bride's maids. The wedding will be in Hazzard so I'll have to figure things out for the wedding without knowing the area."

"Daisy'll help you out. In fact, she was upset that Jebb and Kira eloped so she didn't get to help plan their wedding." Luke looked at the time and figured that they better stop at the next town. That way they can enjoy one last night alone before facing the entire Duke Army for the Thanksgiving Meal. "I have an idea, do you think that you can have it all planned by February?"

"Why should I have to plan it all?"

"Haven't you heard? I'm the groom. My job is to just show up." Luke started laughing as Jo swiped at him from the passenger's side.

"Oh, and I'm assuming that the reason you mentioned February is so that you have half of a shot at remembering the date."

"I've heard that women tend to get a little bent out of shape when you forget something like an anniversary. It's only fair. Jebb has Christmas so there ain't no way he can forget his."

"I suppose that a thick-headed mule like you might need the balloons and hearts in store windows to remind you," Jo giggled.

"Well, what do you think? Do you think that you'll have enough time to put together the wedding of your dreams in two and a half months?"

"Depends. Once we get married, then what?"

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean, are you planning on the two of us staying out at the farmhouse with the others or do we get our own place?"

"I hadn't given that much thought. I was certain that you wouldn't want to leave New York. I suppose that I'm goin' to have to do some plannin' of my own while you're plannin' the wedding."

~01~

"Jesse, are you sure that Luke's bringin' that girl?" Pauline asked for the sixth time today.

"That's what he said, Pauline. You know Luke; he's probably timed everything down to the last second. Waitin' until it's nearly time to put the food on the table for him to pull in the drive."

"Are you sure that he asked her to get married?"

"Yes, I'm sure. He even talked to Kira while they were up in New York. At the time, he was still waitin' for an answer. I don't think that she'd be comin' down here if she told him no."

"Pauline, leave Jesse alone. He ain't got no more information then he's had since we got into town yesterday," John told his wife as he leaned back onto the porch swing.

"How can you just sit there like that?"

"What else is there to do? If Luke wants to get married, he ain't goin' to need me doin' nothin' just now."

"John! You could at least pretend to be just as nervous as us," Pauline scolded her husband.

"I'm waitin' on Luke. I think that there have been enough jumpin' the gun on this so far. As soon as I see Luke, then I'll get excited for him." Looking up, John added, "Which may not be much longer." Pauline and Jesse turned and saw a sedan pulling into the driveway. "Now calm down you two. You'll scare that girl off for sure if you don't."

John ignored the look that both his wife and oldest brother gave him as they headed off of the porch to join the group that had already begun to gather around the car.

Inside the car, Jo looked around as she saw a much bigger family gathering than she thought she was in for. "Now I'm beginning to see why you asked me if I was ready to meet the Duke Army."

"Don't worry, they don't bite. If I can face your father alone, you'll survive the Duke family just fine," Luke said trying to reassure his future wife.

"It looks like they already know that you proposed. I'm guessing that they all want to know the answer."

"We'll make them wait. I wonder who will ask first. My Uncle Jesse or Aunt Pauline," Luke chuckled.

"From what I've heard from you so far, I may need to volunteer to help Kira with the twins. Isn't she the only one that'll take your aunt on and put her in her place?"

"You know, that might not be a bad idea. Being the last to join the Duke Family, she remembers all too well how intimidating it can be to jump in with this group. You ready to become the center of attention?"

Jo took a deep breath as Luke turned the car off. "Let's do this."


	27. Welcomed with Open Arms

**Chapter 27: Welcomed with Open Arms**

"Luke, I can't believe that you're ready to settle down," Judd teased his brother after Pauline had pulled Jo off to the side to talk to her in private right after everyone finished up with lunch. "Somehow, I was certain that you were immune to Pauline's needling. Bo told us that the she got a hold of you the last time that she was in town."

"Well, I wasn't really expecting it either. But now I am and I wouldn't change a thing." Luke eyed the old farm house where Pauline had taken Jo. "Of course that's assumin' that Pauline ain't goin' to go scarin' her off."

"Don't worry about her, Luke. Kira and Daisy went in right behind them." Jebb hoped that Jo's first meeting with his mother was going better than Kira's.

"I say that we blame all of this on Jebb," Bo teased as he bent to pick Jay up from the small play pen that had been set up outside.

"What do you mean blame Jebb? What did I do?"

"You had to go and get married first. You set the ball rolling down hill and now you're wantin' to drag another Duke Boy down with you. I think that the rest of us had better find somethin' to hold on to so that we don't get drug down with these two," Bo motioned to Jebb and Luke as he spoke to the other three men.

"Now it's been nearly two years since I got married to Kira. Besides, you're just jealous that you ain't found no one that can make you forget all about any other women." Jebb smirked as Bo tried to figure out a retort.

Vance nudged Jebb, "Might want to pipe down, here comes Uncle Jesse." The guys looked up and saw Jesse heading their way.

"Luke, mind if I talk to you?" Jesse asked Luke as the other men got quiet.

"Uh, sure thing, Uncle Jesse." Luke followed Jesse as he walked over to the truck.

"Get in."

"Uncle Jesse?"

"Get in. We won't be goin' far. This way we'll be able to talk without anyone interruptin' us."

Luke looked around and saw his cousins and brother all whispering and smirking in his direction.

"Not goin' far?" Luke asked as if double checking.

"We won't even leave the property." Luke sighed as he climbed in the white pick-up in with his uncle. Luke watched as his uncle steered the truck toward the wooded area of the property. "Have you two settled on things yet?"

"What do ya mean?"

"You know what I mean. Are you two gettin' hitched or not?"

Luke grinned as his uncle gave him a cross ways look from behind the wheel. "Yeh, we're goin' to get married. I got a few things to figure out first but we were sort of thinkin' about havin' the weddin' in February."

"Good. It's about danged time. I was kinda thinkin' that you'd finally come to your senses. What are some of the things that you were plannin' on figurin'?"

"Well, first thing is that I have to figure out where we're gonna live."

"No you won't."

Luke gave his uncle an odd look at the comment. "What do ya mean? I really don't think that it'd be a good idea for us to stay out at the farm."

"Now would you just settle back and trust me?" Jesse turned off on the old, almost indiscernible path up to the old cook cabin on the edge of the Duke land. When they pulled up outside of the old still site, Luke gave his uncle a questioning look.

"Uncle Jesse, I know that this would be better than nothin' but I ain't sure that this would be such a great place to bring a new bride."

"Would you not make no judgments just yet? Now I know that you come here a lot, and I know that you already brought that girl here once anyway." Luke looked back sharply from gazing out the window when his uncle said the last part. "Yes I knew that you were here with Jo. I told you before, you and Bo ain't never been able to get away with anything that I didn't know was happenin'. Now you go on in and take a look around. I'll wait out here."

Luke gave his uncle one last look before climbing out of the truck and headed up the porch steps and went inside. When Luke walked in, he was met by a transformed cabin. It looked very little like the cabin that had been the setting of his and Jo's little get away.

There was a new living room suite that took up the area that had been the main room that had served as both the living area and kitchen. The wall on the far end had been knocked out and a room had been added on and had new appliances and a small kitchen table in it. It was only after Luke saw the appliances that he noticed that there were light switches on the walls.

Luke then went to the bedroom and saw that the old worn out bed had been replaced with a new one along with new matching dressers. He also saw two doors that had previously not been in there before and opened them to find a closet behind one and a brand new bathroom with a large shower and a garden tub behind the other. The last part had to have been Daisy's idea.

Luke took in everything that had to have been done while he was in New York and smiled to himself. Everyone had done an awful lot of work while he was gone. Jo and Luke now would have a place of their own yet at the same time he wouldn't really have to leave home. Luke headed back out to the truck and climbed in.

"How did you know that Jo and I would be needing a place? That we would get married and stay here in Hazzard?"

"Have I ever been wrong before?" Luke knew better than to answer that question. "And since this place was here, I figured that it would be the simplest solution. Besides, it ain't like this place needs to stay hidden any longer. This way you two will have your own place but you'll still be around close enough for me to keep an eye on you. Plus, you know that Bo wouldn't have wanted you to go too far no how. Now, did you see anything that you'd want changed? We can still return the furniture if you'd rather have somethin' else."

"Nah, the place looked great. In fact, it looked like you were expectin' Jo and me to elope like Jebb and Kira."

"Now don't be gettin' no ideas. I'd like to see at least one of you youngens havin' a proper weddin'. I just wanted to have everything ready just in case," Jesse said as he pointed a finger at his oldest.

"Don't worry, Uncle Jesse. This will be a proper weddin'. The long white dress and all. The only thing I ain't goin' to be happy about is that Jo plans to stay in New York between now and then."

"Good girl. Otherwise you two might as well as move on in here right now 'cause you certainly wouldn't be sleepin' at home none. Now, why don't we head on back? I'm sure that Pauline's finished talkin' to your bride by now."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Luke muttered as Jesse cranked the truck up.

~01~

"Well, since you've known Luke for so long, you know full well just how stubborn that boy can be. You just keep in mind what I told you and everything will work out just fine," Pauline said while placing a hand over Jo's.

Daisy snickered lightly as she exchanged glances with Kira and the two of them walked into the kitchen to rescue Jo from their aunt.

"Pauline, it's about time for the boys' nap. I was wonderin' if you wanted to put them down since you don't get to see them very often," Kira said as she put the jars of opened baby food away in the refrigerator.

"Hey that's a good idea. You can put them in my bed if you don't want to go all of the way back up to the other house," Daisy chimed in.

Pauline grinned at the chance of spending some one on one time with her grandbabies then headed off in search of them so that she could put them down for their naps.

"That didn't sound as painful as it could have been but I figured that we should probably come and lure her away anyway. Too much time with Pauline and you're bound to start pullin' your hair out." Kira poured herself a glass of sweet tea before joining Jo at the table.

"Did she go through all of that when you married her son?"

"Nah. She wants you to marry Luke. I think she was in denial that Jebb and I were even married until after the boys were well on their way here."

"I forgot that it was a bit different with you two. Well, any words of wisdom before I marry into the family?" Jo picked her own glass up and took a sip.

"Yeh, learn how to live on less sleep." Kira let out a slight giggle as both women both started to look around to make sure that they wouldn't be over heard. "Because if a Duke male has the choice between giving up sex or sleep, they'll learn how to live with no sleep without even thinkin' about it."

"Speaking from experience?" Jo cocked an eyebrow as she leaned in.

"Absolutely. I think that I was able to get a month's worth of sleep last week while I was in New York."

"Well, now that you're well rested, do you think that the two of you can help me plan a wedding in two months? Luke and I were sort of hoping to get things ready in time to have the wedding on Valentine's Day."

"I'd love to," Daisy gushed. "And that is such a romantic day for a wedding."

"Yeh, well, that's not exactly the reason that Luke suggested the date, Daisy. It's so he won't be able to forget the date. Said that it was only fair since Jebb can't forget his with it being with Christmas and all." Jo laughed.

"Well, no one has to know that. Now let's see, your colors should be red, pink, and white of course." Daisy ignored Kira's wrinkled nose at the mention of pink.

"Well, I was kind of thinking of having colors that steer clear of the Valentine's Day colors. With it being the middle of winter, plan for it to be more of a winter wonderland type of theme maybe."

"I think that'd be nice," Kira said. "You can do a lot with that kind of theme. Not to mention it would be a lot harder to find red and pink ribbons and cloth during that time of year anyway with the demand being up for them in February."

"I was also thinking of white carnations for the bride's maids."

"To kinda look like snow balls?" Daisy asked.

"Well, I hadn't thought of it quite like that." Jo considered whether the white carnations would be going over the top.

"Simple but very elegant. What kind of dress do you think that you're goin' to get?" Daisy asked.

"I don't know. I'll probably just go and try on a bunch of styles to see what I like. Maybe you two can fly up when I go shopping, and then you two can get fitted for your dresses too."

"I can make our dresses," Daisy offered as Bo and Jebb came in.

"Back up, Jebb. They're already in full hen party mode. We might get pecked if we make a wrong move." Bo stretched his arm out as if he was trying to block Jebb's way in from the livingroom.

"Get used to it, Bo. It's bound to be one long hen party between now and February." Jebb moved on past his cousin and took a swallow out of his wife's drink. "How'd you get rid of my mother?"

"I sent her to take care of the boys. It was a win-win situation sending her to do that," Kira said as she gave Jebb a dirty look since he'd drained her glass. "I told Jo that she's lucky, Pauline likes her. Plus I think that Pauline had about given up on Luke ever gettin' married."

"You know, Bo. Now that Luke's gonna be gettin' married soon, she'll be bound to put you in her sights next," Jebb teased the other blond Duke.

"Nuh-uh. I'm at the bottom of the list. She needs to work on Coy, Vance, and then Judd before she gets to me. In fact, Coy said that Vance has got a steady girl up in Tennessee."

"We'll have to make sure that Luke flings the garter in your direction." Kira laughed as Bo gave her a dirty look for the comment.

"I think I'll make sure I keep my hands in my pockets during the toss," Bo said with a soured look on his face.

Daisy giggled as she had to chime in, "You know, the harder a man fights it, the harder he ends up fallin'. I bet that Luke could probably make sure that you get that garter even tossin' it over his shoulder."

"Now wouldn't you rather that Enos get it instead? Especially since he's been gettin' just a touch less timid since it looks like he'll be sheriff a while."

"How is your old sheriff doin' after the shooting? I haven't heard anything about him with everything else that has gone on since then," Jo asked since she was actually quite curious.

"Well, since he was shot in the line of duty, he was able to get set up with some sort of fund that I didn't even know about," Bo tossed over his shoulder as he went looking for some of the hidden 'shine in the cabinet.

"I still found that a bit funny. Kira, you and Luke never explained how that came about. You went to check on Rosco at Boss's house and suddenly Rosco doesn't have to worry about the pension that was taken away years ago," Daisy said as she turned to watch Bo digging through the cabinet.

Kira shrugged as she got up to refill her, now empty, glass with tea. "I volunteered to Lulu to go over the county papers to see if there was anything that I could do about Rosco's pension. Offered to write the state, make a few calls. Basically, I was bluffing because Luke had a suspicion that Boss had something to do with Rosco's pension disappearing. Then low and behold, Boss finds some sort of fund that will take care of Rosco since he was shot in the line of duty."

"Why am I not surprised? Boss grabs any money that he can. Rosco's pension included. He must have been pocketin' that money for years." Daisy shook her head at the greed of the man.

"He's still goin' to _advise _Enos on how to be a proper sheriff. Which he's havin' a ball doin' and doesn't have to be under Boss's thumb anymore." Kira finished as she looked up out of the window and saw the white pick-up pulling back up into the farm yard. "Looks like Jesse and Luke are back. Jo, why don't ya go see what Jesse talked to Luke about. I think I'll go see if the boys are givin' Pauline a hard time bein' put down for their naps."

~01~

"Careful, remember it doesn't take much of that for you to get fallin' down drunk," Luke whispered to Jo as she accepted a small amount of moonshine in a glass from him as the rest of the adults had begun to spread out around the farm.

Jo eyed Luke before sipping from her glass. "I didn't think that I was that bad."

"Do you even remember that night?" Luke whispered as he pulled her down onto the porch swing with him.

"Why?"

Luke just grinned but didn't answer her since he saw some other relatives coming over to talk to him and Jo about their upcoming marriage. Jo gave Luke an annoyed glance since she doubt that she'd get him to explain the comment later on.

Back in the barn, Jesse and John were digging out another jug of whiskey and figured that they'd better check on the supply level.

"Looks like I'll need to run off a batch before the wedding. We're gettin' a bit low," John said as he flipped the trap door closed again in the mule's stall.

"Just be careful when you do. I don't know how you've managed to keep Pauline from findin' your still after all of these years."

"Don't ask. Though it does help that she thinks that I gave up makin' moonshine years ago. I think I'll wait 'til Jebb and Kira comes up for Christmas so he can help. That is, unless he decides not to let that shoulder of his heal properly this time."

"You'd better say somethin' to him about how sometimes it's alright to not jump in every time Bo and Luke get involved in a fight."

"Somehow I thought that he'd calm down a bit after havin' the kids," John said shaking his head.

"Did it calm you down that fast?"

"That was different."

"It always is," Jesse chuckled.

~01~

By the end of the weekend, Jo had Daisy take her to all the local areas that she thought that Jo should know about to help plan the wedding. Daisy took her to get a look at the church where the ceremony would be held since it was the only church in town. Daisy promised to take some snapshots for Jo so that she could use them while she came up with decoration ideas.

Of course, Daisy had to tell each and every person that they spoke with just who Jo was. The future Mrs. Lukas K. Duke. She was enjoying the looks that crossed the women's faces as they tried to appear happy for the blonde woman who had finally settled down the oldest Duke Boy enough into wanting to get married.

"By the looks I'm getting from all of these women, I'm beginning to get the idea that it's a good thing that I'm staying in New York until it gets closer to the wedding," Jo said in a whisper as yet another woman did a double-take once Daisy gave her the news of the impending wedding.

"Don't let them bother you, honey. They're just jealous. There ain't hardly a woman in at least four counties that hadn't tried to get hitched to one of them cousins of mine. But couldn't a single one of them even come close."

"So I'm guessing that I'll be seeing an awful lot of green eyes for a while."

"You could say that." Daisy smiled then caught sight of Enos across the road talking to Boss. Once she realized what Enos was saying to Boss, she started to laugh. "Oh, no. I don't think that Boss has ever had to worry about that before."

"Why? What's going on?"

"It looks like Enos is giving him a ticket for parking in a fire lane." The two women exchanged looks then both started to laugh as they made their way back to Daisy's Jeep.


	28. General Meet The General

**Chapter 28: General Meet The General**

The next couple of weeks went by at a hurried pace. Jo and Stephanie began planning the wedding on their end in New York while keeping everyone in Hazzard in the loop. Daisy and Kira had gone up for a weekend to help Jo shop for a dress and Jo was able to pick out the dresses that she wanted the other three women to wear while making sure that the design would flatter all three women who would serve as the bridal party.

Now Jo was flying down to Hazzard for Christmas to spend it with Luke and the rest of the family. Reluctantly, she had agreed to invite her father to go with her and was waiting for her father to join her during her layover in D.C. Finally, she saw her father coming over to her dressed in civvies.

"Well, it seems that you do have clothes other than a uniform. Please tell me you didn't pack it," Jo joked as her father sat beside her as they waited for their flight.

"Very funny, Joanna. I just figured that I should try to blend in a bit while in Hazzard," Thomas replied while feeling out of place without his uniform.

"I don't think I've ever seen you in jeans before." Jo gave her father a hug and laughed at his reply.

"Well, it just seemed that suits or slacks would stand out. I still don't know how I let you talk me into spending Christmas in Georgia."

"Come on, it's been years since we've spent Christmas together. And besides that, I think that you just might enjoy yourself. Maybe you and Jesse can go over old war stories together or something. You know, he was in the Army in Korea. You might be surprised; you two may find that you have more in common than you think."

"We'll see," Thomas said skeptically.

~01~

Luke went out to the car to get ready to head out to pick Jo and the general up at the airport in Capital City when he came up short. Jo wouldn't mind riding in the General Lee but somehow he doubted that her father would be as inclined to climb in through the windows to get into the stock car. Behind him, Bo watched as he glanced back and forth between the car and their uncle's truck. Figuring out what had given Luke a reason to pause, Bo went over and put his arm across Luke's shoulders in the casual way that he'd been doing for years.

"You know, you might as well as be yourself. The general should know the real you from the beginning. That includes our own General here," Bo popped the roof of the car with one hand as he spoke. "No sense in trying to pretend that you're somethin' that you're not. You rarely go anywhere without this orange flying machine of ours. Why should today be any different?"

Luke looked between his cousin and their shared car for a moment then nodded to himself as he agreed with his cousin. "You're right. Might as well introduce both of the Generals to one another right from the start."

Luke slipped through the window and put the car in gear and headed to the airport. Hopefully the general won't take his means of getting out to the farm badly. But as Bo had said, he might as well as be himself.

~01~

Jo and Thomas Hart got off of the small commuter plane that they'd taken in from Atlanta and went to retrieve their luggage when they saw Luke waiting for them at the luggage carousel.

"How was the flight?" Luke asked as he grabbed for Jo's suitcases as they rode by him on the belt after he gave Jo a quick kiss.

"Long. We got delayed in Atlanta," Jo said as she slipped an arm around Luke's waist.

"Well, at least ya'll made it here safe and sound." Luke led the way to the orange stock car just a bit nervous. He walked around to the back of the car and started to load the luggage into the trunk.

"An interesting looking car." Thomas eyed the car, noting the paint job. "You race this thing?"

"Yes sir. Bo and I've have raced ever since we gave up runnin' 'shine. You actually use some of the same skills runnin' from the revenuers as you do on the track keepin' ahead of the other drivers."

"Is that so?" Thomas exchanged a look with his daughter and knew that she was waiting for him to say something positive to her future husband. "I suppose you used some of those same skills in 'Nam, too. It wasn't just luck that helped you make it back from over there, was it?"

Luke looked up at the general and considered the statement. Slowly he nodded. "They learned real quick to use those of us from the country when it came to trackin' and avoidin' the enemy over there." When Thomas went to reach for the door, Luke spoke up once more. "The, uh, the doors are welded shut. You'll need to climb in through the window."

Luke waited until Jo's father climbed in before helping Jo in and slipping in behind the wheel of the stock car. As Luke was driving through Hatchapee County towards the Hazzard County line, Luke was extra careful of the speed limits and drove in a relatively sedate manner since he had his future father-in-law in the car with him. That, however, did not stop Sheriff Loomis from pulling in behind the racecar with light and sirens going.

"Damn," Luke said as he glanced into the rear-view mirror.

"You weren't doing anything wrong," Jo said as she twisted to see the police car coming out of a side road towards them. "Why is he coming after you? This isn't fair."

"Angel, around here, you don't have to be doin' anythin' wrong. Not as long as your name is Duke." Luke gave his fiancée and her father a glance then remembered Bo's advice before he left the house. "Hang on."

Luke changed gears and sped up as he ignored the look that General Hart was giving him. Luke made a beeline to the county line, figuring that once he was out of the sheriff's jurisdiction that he'd give up on the chase. Luke put the car through the usual turns and fish tails as he put some distance between him and Sheriff Loomis as he headed towards one of his and Bo's usual escape routes. When he went off road in a meadow towards the creek, Jo braced herself knowing what would be coming next.

"Brace yourself and hang on," Luke said and he once again changed gears and pointed the car toward the dip near the bank.

"Wait a minute. What are you doing?" Thomas put a hand up on the dash and did as Luke suggested just before the car and its three passengers went airborne. When the car came to rest on the other side of the creek, Luke looked back and watched as Loomis pulled up short of the creek.

"He's alright. He knows better than to try to follow me across that creek."

"Do that often?" Thomas asked the younger dark-haired man.

"A couple times a week. Though usually it's just for fun." Luke smirked at the usual reaction to the jump that outsiders tend to have after a jump. "General, you might as well know that things run a bit different out here than they do up in the big cities."

"So I see. Isn't jumping a car like that tough on it?"

"It can be. You have to know what you're doin'." Luke gave a slight smile since he knew what he was doing. The rest of the drive went by without incident and soon they were pulling into the farm yard. Luke went to grab the luggage as Bo came out to help him. Daisy came running out and hugged Jo as she greeted her.

"Welcome back, sugar! We're goin' to have such fun. I'll go ahead and get 'cha settled into my room."

Thomas cocked a brow as Daisy mentioned that his daughter would be staying with her. Somehow he had thought that he'd have to brace himself for seeing his daughter bunking in with her soon-to-be husband.

"Bo, carry the general's luggage on into the guest room," Jesse said as he came out onto the porch to greet his house guests.

"Yes sir," Bo said as he made his way past him through the door. Jesse waited for Luke to walk in with Jo's bags before he walked over to her father.

"You seemed surprise about somethin' there, General. Despite what you might think about my boys, I don't run a bawdy house here. I've never let them boys bring girls in under this roof to sleep with them without the benefit of marriage first. They're all grown adults but I make sure that they all follow certain rules while they live under my roof."

"I apologize for making the wrong assumptions. I'm still getting used to all of this," Thomas said to Jesse.

"That's alright. I suppose I'd be the same way if it was Daisy that was gettin' married. Come on in. We were just about ready to sit down to supper."

Jesse led the way on into the house and soon the Dukes and their guests all began to relax into the evening. The main topic around the table revolved around the upcoming wedding and then moved onto the celebrations that would be taking place during the days leading up to Christmas that week.

"General, do you sing any?" Bo asked as he reached for seconds.

"Why?"

"Well, we always go carolin' on Christmas Eve. Figured that if you sing, you could come along."

"Can't say that I ever have," the general said in response to Bo's question.

"Don't look at me, Bo. I don't sing either." Jo laughed as he turned to ask her. "I'll just stand back and enjoy hearing the rest of you."

"Well, actually, half of the folks that go every year can't carry a tune in a bucket any way. It's still fun though."

"I'll take your word for it," Jo said as she gave him a smile.

After supper, everyone gathered into the living room and Daisy convinced the boys to get their guitars out and the family all started to sing along as they played various Christmas Carols. Luke took extra pride in his singing since Jo hadn't ever gotten to hear him sing before and enjoyed it when she started to compliment him and Bo on their singing voices.

"Any requests?" Luke asked, "What's your favorite Christmas song?"

"I don't think you'd know it," Jo said, knowing that Luke would take that as a challenge. "It's a bit old. It was written during the Civil War."

"Try me." Luke gave a lopsided grin as he waited for the song title.

"Christmas Bells."

Bo chuckled, "Darlin', we know that one. Johnny Cash recorded it several years back. Now I know that you said that you can't sing but that don't matter none. We'll play it if you agree to sing along."

"You're going to regret asking that," Jo said from beside Luke as he balanced his instrument on his thigh.

"We don't mind suffering a bit." Luke ducked to dodge Jo's hand as she went to swipe at him for the comment. Luke and Bo began to play the song and Jo reluctantly sang along with the Dukes as quietly as she thought that she could get away with it.

_I heard the bells on Christmas Day_  
_Their old familiar carols play_  
_And wild and sweet the words repeat_  
_Of Peace on earth, good will to men._

_I thought how, as the day had come_  
_The belfries of all Christendom_  
_Had rolled along the unbroken song_  
_Of Peace on earth, good will to men._

_Till ringing, singing on its way_  
_The world revolved from night to day_  
_A voice, a chime, a chant sublime_  
_Of peace on earth, good will to men._

_And in despair, I bowed my head_  
_"There is no peace on earth", I said,_  
_"For hate is strong and mocks the song_  
_Of Peace on earth, good will to men"._

_Then pealed the bells more loud and deep_  
_"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep_  
_The wrong shall fail, the right prevail_  
_With Peace on earth, good will to men"_

_Till, ringing, singing on its way,_  
_The world revolved from night to day_  
_A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,_  
_Of peace on earth, good will to men._

"I'm surprised that you knew that one," Jo said.

"We're real big on history around here. Especially when it comes to the Civil War. If it has anything to do with it, we'll most likely know about it." Luke smirked as started to play another song.

~01~

The next day, Luke took Thomas up to the cabin by way of the newly made driveway that he'd cut into the woods and gave the general his first look at where his daughter would be living in about a month and a half. Luke explained how the family had gone in together to renovate the old cabin as a surprise.

The general gave the cabin a thorough inspection of his daughter's future home. It looked cozy enough, with the fire place in the newly furnished living room and the kitchen that seemed to be waiting for intimate dinners for two. The perfect home for just the two of them. A bit rustic looking but with the newly installed modern conveniences it would blend perfectly with the history that the cabin silently spoke of what it had seen in its years and the promise of a bright future for the soon-to-be newlyweds who would soon occupy its walls.

"Well, your family must really care for you to put this kind of work into a place for you to have a place of your own," Thomas said as he checked the craftsmanship of the addition to the cabin.

"Like I told you before, I'm really close to my family," Luke replied.

"So I've seen."

"How about your family? Jo's never really gone into tellin' me much about her family. Does she have cousins, aunts, uncles?"

"No. I was an only child and her mother took off when she was little so there's no one on her side either," Thomas said regrettably.

"Took off?" Luke knew that Jo had grown up without a mother, but he didn't realize that her mother had abandoned her.

"She couldn't handle the military life. After a while, she just walked away from it." Thomas looked off with a blank stare as he thought about Jo's mother for a moment.

"I didn't realize-"

"Joanna was too young to remember. Just do me a favor, don't mention that you know. She'll bring it up if she wants to talk about it. Otherwise-"

"Understood," Luke said with a slight nod.

"What about you? You and your cousins were all raised by your uncle?"

"My Uncle Jesse took me in when I was four. I was stayin' with him and my Aunt Lavinia while my mother was in the hospital after givin' birth to my little brother. There was a fire and very few folks got out. A nurse was able to get my brother out and raised him, my folks didn't make it."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Uncle Jesse was the best father I could have asked for. We might not have always had a lot but ain't none of us ever doubted that we were loved. He's the reason I'm the man I am." Luke looked away back towards the car to hide the emotion that always tried to make itself known whenever he thought about his parents. "I think we'd best head on back. I promised Jo that I'd take her out to the Boar's Nest."

"That's the bar that you were fighting in the first time I saw you?"

"You were there for the fight?"

"You were just finishing up when I walked in. Care to explain that?" Thomas crossed his arms as he waited for Luke to do just that.

"Most folks around here know better than to lay hands on Daisy while she's workin' out there; especially when any of the rest of us are there. Out-of-towners sometimes need to be convinced that it ain't such a good idea to mess around with any of the female Dukes unless you're willin' to take on the rest of us. Four men were harassin' Daisy that night. When they grabbed at her, I jumped in. From there, it just spiraled out of control."

"So you were protecting your cousin?" Thomas thought back to the fight that he'd seen between the Dukes and the four truckers.

"Yes sir. Like I said, you take on one Duke; you get the rest of us. Daisy sometimes doesn't think that she needs the rest of us watchin' over her, but it's ingrained in us. The same way it will be with Jo. Even if I ain't around, if any of the others see anyone givin' her a hard time, then they'll have to take it up with which ever Duke is around. She won't ever have to worry about bein' alone. Once a Duke, she'll have more family than she'll know what to do with. And by default, that family will be extended to you too, sir."

"Well that makes me feel a little better. Fighting in defense of your female family members is a bit different than just fighting for the hell of it," Thomas said as he followed Luke out to the stock car.

Luke considered telling the other man that it doesn't always work out quite that way but thought better of it. So far, things were going well on the general's first visit to the farm and while he had taken Bo's advice about being himself and was just trying to be honest, too much honesty may not exactly be all that helpful in building a bridge with the older man. Instead, Luke dropped the subject and the two men got into the stock car and headed back to the main house of the farm.


	29. Duke Initiation

**Chapter 29: Duke Initiation**

Luke walked into the Boar's Nest with Jo which was in full swing for the night. With it being the Saturday night before Christmas, folks were in a festive mood and would continue to be so right up until Christmas on Tuesday. He knew that Jesse had convinced Thomas to come out tonight as well to introduce him to some of the older men in town. Already, the two were off to the side where the checker board was kept. Jesse surprised the man by pulling out chess pieces instead of checkers saying that he suspected that the general would probably appreciate a game of strategy. Even now, the two older men were engrossed in their game as various men from town went over to see who the newcomer was.

Luke and Jo danced for a while and got a few drinks and were having a great time. Over at the bar, Kim Appleby walked over and asked if Daisy could call Cooter for her. Her Jeep wouldn't start and she wanted Cooter to take a look at it.

"Oh, honey. I'm sorry. Cooter was in here just a while back and got a call to head up to Iron Mountain for a tow. It'll be a while before he gets back into CB range."

"Great. Now what am I goin' to do?" Kim groaned.

"Well, hold on a minute." Daisy walked out from behind the bar and started to scan the men that were around with hopes of finding someone who could help Kim out with her car troubles. Spying her older cousin, she'd hate to interrupt him and Jo but there really wasn't anyone else in the bar that knew a battery from a carburetor who was still sober enough to work on a car. "Luke, I hate to ask, but would you take a look at Kim's Jeep. She says that it won't start and Cooter is all of the way out on Iron Mountain."

Luke gave a questioning look to Jo then looked back to Daisy. "Where's Bo? He could probably handle it."

"Where else? He already took off with Wendy. Otherwise I would have asked him. Please? Kim's stranded and she was on her way out to the Miller's place to check Mrs. Miller. She's taken to her bed again and hasn't been taking her medicine. Kim was on her way to see to it that she takes them tonight."

"Alright. I'll see what I can do." Luke got up from the table and said to Jo, "I'll be right back."

"Alright," Jo said then watched as Luke went over to the bar and spoke with a brunette before the two went outside. "Daisy, has Luke and Kim ever ... gone out together?"

"No, honey. Kim moved away right after high school and didn't move back until after Luke was already in love with you. Otherwise I'd never would have asked. I would have let any of the other women wait at the bar for Cooter to come back," Daisy said trying to reassure her cousin's soon-to-be wife.

"Thanks, Daisy. I was just checking." Jo took a deep breath knowing that there would be plenty of other times like this. She was going to have to trust Luke. But that didn't mean that she was going to have to trust the other women.

On the other end of the bar, Thomas had finished his game of chess with Jesse and was watching him challenge another man to a game when he caught sight of Luke in the corner of his eye leaving out with another woman. Thomas made his way over towards the men's room then slipped outside once he knew that no one was watching him.

Once he was outside, he saw Luke over at a blue Jeep with the hood popped up. From the shadows of the bar, Thomas watched as his daughter's fiancé worked under the hood then climbed under the Jeep for a few moments. After nearly half an hour, Luke closed the hood and the brunette thanked him as she climbed into her Jeep and drove off. Luke then started to head back towards the bar when he was stopped by a man with brown hair.

~01~

Jo stared into her drink as she waited for Luke to come back in from helping the doctor get her Jeep fixed. After Luke had been gone for quite a while, she looked up when another woman joined her at the table. She was another blonde much like herself, and though she was petite like Jo was, that was about where the similarities ended. She had green eyes and lacked the muscle tone that Jo had long ago built up while in the Marines and now maintained through a lot of exercise.

"So, you must be the one that trapped the infamous Luke Duke into marriage. What happened, you let him knock you up or somethin'?" Jane sneered as she looked over the woman who had come in with Luke earlier.

"Do I know you?" Jo returned the critical gaze that she'd received from Jane.

"No, but Luke does. Very well. I was wondering how long it would take for one of the Duke Boys to start gettin' careless. Let's see, the weddin' ain't until February from what I hear. You're gonna look mighty puffy by then."

"I'm not the one that looks a little bloated today."

Jane narrowed her eyes at the soon-to-be Duke, "You know, I wonder just how long it will be before Luke gets bored with you. After all, he's always had varied tastes in women. There is no way that he's goin' to be satisfied with just one woman for very long."

Jane gave Jo an oh so sweet smile before she continued, "One thing that I've always wondered about though. I wonder if Luke's brother has a birthmark just like him. You know the one I'm talkin' about? The one on the inside of his thigh. The one that is placed just so..." Jane indicated on her own thigh then said, "I guess one of these days I'll have to see if the brothers would be up to allow me to compare their assets."

Jo set her jaw as Jane went on about just how well she and most of the female population in at least four counties knew her soon-to-be husband.

~01~

"Move, Ernie. I ain't in the mood to tangle with you tonight. It ain't been that long since I had to go to court for my last fight. Besides, I've got better things to do than stand out here in the cold lettin' you push my buttons." Luke made to move past Ernie who then moved to block him.

"Like gettin' back to that skinny bitch that you walked in with?" Ernie sneered at the dark-haired Duke.

Luke's eyes flashed at Ernie's description of Jo. "You want to rephrase that? Jo happens to be my fiancée."

Ernie laughed as if he found the notion that the Duke Boy was planning to get married was the funniest thing that he'd ever heard. "I heard that you finally sprung the trap. So, I'm guessing that means that there'll be a new Duke brat around soon. Well, I suppose a bombshell like that could make any man forget to use protection. I know I would. Wonder if she's up to trading up from a Duke, I'm sure I could make her forget all about you after a while."

Luke grabbed Ernie by the collar and pinned him up against the nearest car before leaning into him and said through gritted teeth, "You stay away from Jo. You so much as give her a hard glance and you'll be gettin' your meals through a tube. Understand me?"

From where Thomas was standing, he'd heard some of what Ernie had said to Luke though he couldn't hear any of what Luke said in return, especially after he threw the man up against the car. Thomas was getting close to not being able to let his soon-to-be son-in-law handle the other man when two police cars came racing up to the bar with lights flashing. Hearing the cars come up, Luke released Ernie as he turned toward the men in uniforms.

"Luke? You ain't inside?" Enos asked in confusion.

"Hadn't been in over half an hour. Why?"

"We just got a call sayin' that there's a fight inside. I figured that it was you or Bo for sure."

"Bo ain't inside either. Sorry to disappoint ya. It won't be a Duke that you'll haul in tonight."

"Well, Cletus, let's get on in and see who's fightin' now."

"I'm comin' too. This I've got to see. It ain't often that I get to be a spectator to a bar room brawl instead of bein' one of the active participants," Luke said as he walked toward the doors and caught sight of General Hart right outside the doors.

"General, can I do somethin' for ya?"

"No, I was just coming to make sure that there was nothing wrong."

"Nope, I came out to help the doc get her Jeep back on the road. I was just on my way back in. Enos and Cletus say that someone's fightin' inside. For once, I ain't involved." Luke stepped through the doors and his eyes widened as he saw just who was fighting in the old roadhouse. "Jo!"

"Joanna!" Thomas exclaimed as he too saw his daughter shake off the deputy and sheriff as they were trying to pull her off of another blonde.

The other woman went to swing at Jo who grabbed the arm and pulled it behind her. Jo then looped a hand around the other woman's pony-tail then used it as leverage to slam the woman's head down on the table several times. Jo then hooked her lower leg around one of Jane's legs and used it to knock her feet out from under her as she let go of her hair, letting Jane drop to the floor.

Luke and Thomas rushed over to Jo and then pulled her off of the woman that she was beating to a pulp. Cletus went to help the woman up who was now slumped onto the floor.

"She started it!" Jo fought against both her father and against Luke since she was still wired and ready to go another round as she spit out some blood that had pooled in her mouth from the lucky shot that the other woman had landed.

"That bitch broke my nose!" Jane cried from the chair that Cletus had helped her get into. Jo had to fight a smile that wanted to creep across her face.

"I'm sorry, Miss Hart. I'm goin' to have to take both of you two in."

"What?" Thomas asked. His daughter was being arrested.

"Cletus, go ahead and take Miss Everidge over to the courthouse and call one of the doctors to come and check her out." Enos turned toward the other woman that he really didn't want to arrest but the law is the law. "I'm sorry, Luke, but I've got to take her in."

Luke exchanged a look with Jo who sighed in resignation and then nodded. "We'll be right behind you to bail you out." Luke felt odd as he watched Enos walk Jo out toward the door. "Daisy, did you see what happened?"

"Sorry, sugar. Things were so busy; I didn't see anything until they were both takin' swings at one another."

"Well, Bo's got the General, can I borrow Dixie?"

"Sure thing, honey. You'd better go get that girl out fast. I don't think that she's used to getting arrested."

"I'm coming too," Thomas said. Personally he'd like to know just what had gotten into his daughter. Here he'd gone out to keep an eye on Luke and it was Joanna who needed watching after. Even though he'd never admit it, he did feel a strange sense of pride seeing that his daughter was the obvious victor of the confrontation.

"Alright. Let's go." Luke took Daisy's keys from her and headed on out to the courthouse. After all, General Hart wasn't the only one who was a bit curious about what had started all of this.

~01~

Jo watched Enos head back up the stairs then went to sit on the cot in the cell while she waited for Luke to come with the bail money. She just didn't know what had come over her. She'd never lost control like that before. But Jane had made her so mad. Being so smug and certain that it would only be a matter of time before she, along with all of the women in Luke's past, would be able to worm her way back into his bed.

It didn't take long for Jo to hear voices at the top of the stairs. Looking up, she spied Luke coming down into the jail area. When he got all of the way down the stairs, he walked over to the cell trying hard to not chuckle as he saw Jo behind bars.

"You find this funny?"

"A little. It ain't all that often that I'm on this side of the bars in this type of situation," Luke said behind a smirk.

"Well go and get them to let me out of here." Jo walked over to the bars to stand near Luke.

"Enos is goin' to wait to see just how much damage you did to Jane so he can tell us how high the bail will be. You messed her up pretty bad."

"Good." Jo crossed her arms as she leaned a hip against the bars.

"Want to tell me just what happened to cause you to tear into her like that?"

Jo shrugged, it sounded so stupid now. Letting that woman get under her skin. "She was running her mouth. That's all."

"She must have been talkin' up a storm. Want to share what she was sayin'?"

Jo looked down while biting her lip. "It doesn't matter much anymore."

"Sure it does, Angel."

Jo blew out a breath before looking back up at Luke. "She was running her mouth about you. Okay?" Jo said with a bit of a bite to her voice.

"Me?"

"Said that it'd only be a matter of time before she and the other women around would be invited back into your bed. Said that there wasn't no way that you could settle for just one woman."

"What?" Luke looked at Jo where a bruise was forming on her left cheek, though she came out of the fight looking a hell of a lot better than Jane. Suddenly, Luke was struck by the hilarity of what had happened and let out a hearty laugh.

"What is so funny?"

"I think that this is the first time that a woman has ever fought to defend _my_ honor. I've fought to defend women in the past but this is the first time one has ever returned the favor." Luke nearly bent over in laughter.

"Laugh it up," Jo said sourly as Luke tried to reign in his laughter.

"I'm sorry, Darlin'. But it is a bit funny. You ain't really worried about what she said though are you?"

"No, I trust you," Jo said as Luke awkwardly slipped an arm around her waist through the bars. "It's everyone else that I don't trust."

"Well if it makes you feel better, after tonight, I don't think that any of the other women in town will even consider crossin' you. Word of the beat down that you just gave Jane will be all over Hazzard by church in the morning."

"Actually it does make me feel a little better," Jo said still a bit sullen.

"Here I bet your father thought that it would be me on that side of the bars by the end of the night. He followed me out when I went to help Kim with her car. Then he looked about ready to deck Ernie himself when he came over to talk to me just before Enos and Cletus showed up to break up your fight."

"Oh, God! I forgot about my father," Jo said covering her face in shame.

"He's upstairs now posting bail. But don't worry about that. Most Dukes end up down here eventually. You just made it before the weddin' is all." Luke smirked as Jo tried to elbow him but couldn't since he leaned away from the bars. "I have the feelin' that things just might be a bit interestin' around here once word gets out that a new Marine is movin' to town."

~01~

Daisy climbed into bed and started to giggle as Jo turned to look at her. She hadn't been in bed long when Daisy came home from work so she was still awake going over the night that she'd had in her head.

"You know that you became the talk of the bar after you and Jane left. You're a natural Duke, honey. I don't think Jane, or any of the other women will be bothering you no more."

"I can't believe I did what I did tonight," Jo said flexing her right hand. Jesse had made up a nasty smelling poultice for her hand and face when she'd gotten back to the farm but she couldn't quite bring herself to hold it onto her cheek at all and only for a short time onto her hand before scrubbing the smell off of her.

"I'm guessin' that it was about Luke?" Daisy flipped her pillow over trying to get comfortable.

"Yes, it was about Luke. You know he had the nerve to laugh at me!"

"I bet he toned it down before Enos let you out of the cell though. And here Uncle Jesse was hopin' that you'd calm Luke down. Now he's probably picturin' that he has one more Duke to bail out of jail on a regular basis," Daisy said giggling to herself.

"Only when women think that they can still get into Luke's pants."

Daisy gave one last giggle, "Somehow I doubt that will happen again anytime soon."

"Now what's going to happen?"

"Oh, we'll go to court Monday and pay a fine. No biggy. Though if you really did break Jane's nose, you'll have to pay her medical bills. That's what Bo and Luke usually have to do if they mess a guy up too bad."

"Stephanie will not believe me when I tell her how I spent my time here in Hazzard for Christmas."

"I'll bet Kira's goin' to hate that she and Jebb are in Placid for the holidays. She would have loved to have been there. And here women thought that she was the new Duke to steer clear of."

"Why?"

"She decked Ernie the first time she came to Hazzard." Daisy grinned as she remembered the incident.

"So I guess that it's a type of initiation then huh? Getting into a fight at the bar to prove that you're a Duke."

"You could say that," Daisy said as she grinned.


	30. Who gave the watch wings?

**Chapter 30: Who gave the watch wings?**

Luke made his way to his room and fell onto the bed as he went to drag his boots off. Over in the other bed, Bo turned over and sat up as Luke got ready for bed.

"I was wonderin' when you'd get home. Wasn't quite sure if Enos would let you out tonight or not."

"What are you talkin' about?" Luke mumbled as he tried to debate if he should bother taking his jeans off before falling off to sleep.

Bo snickered a bit, "I heard the call go out over the CB that there was a fight over at the bar. I know that I told you to be yourself but I don't think that the general was quite ready to bail his future son-in-law out of jail just yet."

"For your information, it wasn't me that got into a fight," Luke said sourly.

"Oh. I just figured...I mean no one was home when I got here. Even Jesse and Jo's father was still out. I had to double check the hall clock to make sure I hadn't come in at a ridiculously early hour. So where have ya been?"

"The courthouse."

"The- But you said that you didn't get in a fight!" Bo said as he bolted up in bed.

"I didn't," Luke said as he flipped back the blankets on his bed before slipping in between the sheets.

"Then why did you go to the courthouse?"

"To bail Jo out."

Bo's eyes went wide before exclaiming in a loud whisper, "What?"

"You heard me. Jo beat the shit out of Jane Everidge. She was making some snide comments and pushed Jo too far."

Bo tried to imagine the fight that had happened after he'd left out with Wendy. The ultimate Chick Fight and he missed it. "How bad is it?"

"Jo's gonna have a black eye and a sore hand in the mornin'. Jane wasn't so lucky. She has a broken nose; both eyes were swollen shut when she left out of the courthouse. There ain't enough makeup in the world to cover the bruises that she'll be sportin' at mornin' service tomorrow. I think I heard Doc say somethin' about bruised ribs, too," Luke said as he tried to get comfortable on his bed.

"I wish I'd been there to see that. I wonder if I can take in a repeat performance."

"Let's try to make it to the weddin' before anyone else gets arrested first. Now get some sleep."

~01~

Kira was feeding Mikey his breakfast while trying to not laugh out loud as Bo used their link to fill her in on the goings ons back in Hazzard. How come the most interesting things happen when she and Jebb are out of town? Once Mikey was fed, Kira took him upstairs to get him dressed and started the morning over with Jay. He seemed to need more sleep than his brother so she'd learned to let him be while she'd get Mikey ready for the day. That way she only had one twin to handle at a time, plus they would be easier to be put down for their naps at the same time. Jay must take after her. He's not much of a morning person already.

When Jebb came in from helping with the chores while she was feeding Jay before the rest of the family started to eat their breakfasts, Kira whispered that he's going to want to call back home later. When he'd asked why, she only grinned as she went back to tending to the younger twin.

Later, after church and calling Hazzard to talk to Daisy, Jebb and John headed out to a hidden still site that Jebb hadn't known about while growing up. It was only after his younger sisters were born that he knew that his father wasn't as retired from the family business as folks thought. His dad had let his mother keep him as ignorant as possible about just how much running 'shine had kept them in clothes, especially during the lean years of drought, while growing up.

Jebb went through the preparations of running off a batch to take back to Hazzard when he and Kira went home. Kira had been a bit wary of hauling moonshine, even if it was just for the family to use at the wedding, but Jebb assured her that with her and the kids in the car no one would even suspect that there was any whiskey in the car. After all, the Dukes of Placid had allegedly been out of business for years. Decades even.

Sure John had continued to help Jesse deliver 'shine after he'd moved away to Hazzard. Right up until Pauline found out that she was going to have Jebb. After she'd told her husband that they were going to have a second child, John had a close call on an all-night run. A rookie had gotten carried away while chasing John while he was in his moonrunner and sent him off a bridge. Thankfully the creek was low and calm due to a drought that year. John had been able to get the car back on land and hidden it from the revenuers that night. If it hadn't been for the drought, as loaded as Old Traveler was, he would have sunk like a stone. Leaving Pauline to raise two kids alone.

After that, John decided that it'd be best to play it safe. He'd given up running completely until Jebb started in school and between the two kids who always seemed to wear through their clothes like they had sandpaper underwear and his wife who had long ago gotten used to some of the finer things in life, he needed more money than just planting cotton could give him. But of course, he'd still played it safe; steering clear of anyone who had ever tasted Duke Shine before.

John, by now, had long been considered respectable enough so no one would even question him any longer if he said that he didn't know where any of the locals could get some 'shine. John learned years ago to go by an alias when making his deals and only sold to certain folks across the Florida line since traditionally Dukes sold their shine in Tennessee and Georgia. Though it was not unheard of for a deal or two to be made across the Alabama state line.

"What's the line that Mom's feedin' everyone about why you and I aren't out at the house?" Jebb asked as he added the water to the still.

"That you left your present for Kira for your anniversary back at the house in Hazzard so you have to head into Atlanta to find a store open on Sunday. She's sayin' that with all of the get togethers this week, this will be your only chance to stay out of the dog house."

"And you had to come along so that Kira doesn't suspect anything, right? Well, I suppose I should seem relieved when we get back. At least I know the story that we're goin' with. Though with the boys, I doubt we'll be missed much," Jebb chuckled.

"Not to mention, as long as you play up the being respectable with a family role, neither the revenuers nor your mother's folks are quite as likely to catch on neither."

"Uncle Jesse always had the others around, how come the revenuers never let up on him if all you have to do is act respectable with a family?" Jebb asked just a bit curious how life could have been so different just a few hours away.

"Dukes in Hazzard had always ran 'shine. He didn't have a prayer. When I married into your mom's family, they were already fairly affluent in the area. No one in your mom's family would even grow corn. Much less make whiskey. After a while, the agents got bored watchin' to see if I was still makin' whiskey once I gave it up after your mom found out about you. I really didn't need to run 'shine much until you kids got up in school. You were... I don't know, seven maybe. By then, none of the ATF agents even gave me a glance when I drove by anymore. Go get some more wood for the fire, would ya Jebb. Fortunately, I made sure that we had some extra split last month when Luke and Jo first got engaged."

"Yes sir." Jebb went to get the wood and prepared to spend some quality time with his father while carrying on an old Duke family tradition.

~01~

First thing Monday morning, Jo was back out at the courthouse with Luke by her side and faced the judge on duty this week. When the judge saw Luke he'd instantly seemed confused since he didn't have the man on his sheet today.

"Luke, I must be missin' somethin' up here. I ain't got you on the docket today. What are you charged with?"

"No, sir. You ain't missin' nothin'. I ain't been arrested since the last time I was in here. I'm here with Ms. Hart. Jo's my fiancée," Luke said as he tried very hard to keep a straight face.

The judge took a long look at Jo then read over the paperwork in front of him. After reading it over the judge looked at the other woman standing in the courtroom as well. By the looks at the two women, it was clear who had gotten the upper hand in the altercation in the bar.

"I see." The judge returned his gaze to Joanna Hart, the woman that Luke said was his soon-to-be wife. "I hope that this won't become a habit of yours; coming to my courtroom after a brawl."

"No sir. It was just a misunderstanding; though I'm sure that all points have been made clear to Ms. Everidge, as well as anyone else who were in doubt of certain...facts, sir."

The judge eyed the women then nodded. He was fairly certain that he knew what the misunderstanding had been about as well as the _facts_ that have been set straight. He then continued the usual procedure for the charges, fined the women and released them. All the while wondering just how long it would be before one of them made her way back into his courtroom.

~01~

By the time that Jo went back to New York after New Year's, Jo's bruises had begun to fade and Jo had a brand new ring resting on her left hand to show off to her friends in the Big Apple. The ring was her Christmas present from Luke. By the way Jo's right hand had swelled up after the fight in the bar, she was glad that she wasn't left handed. Otherwise she'd never had gotten the ring on her hand. It was a simple, single solitaire diamond engagement ring that shown when the light caught it.

Now with the wedding only six weeks away, Jo was busy sending out the wedding invitations to the people that she'd like to have at her wedding while Daisy was in charge of sending them all to the Duke side of the family. There were so many things to do, she couldn't believe that she thought that she could get everything together in such a short amount of time.

And of course Luke was no help. Oh he tried, but basically if she asked his opinion on a detail about the wedding, he just deferred to whatever she thought was best. Big help. Daisy did have a way in mind to get him back for his nonchalance, but Jo hadn't decided whether or not to go through with it yet. Though each time Luke answers her with another question he got closer and closer to her taking Daisy up on the suggestion.

Already, Stephanie had the bridal shower planned, and since Daisy and Kira would be flying in for it, a bachelorette party was planned for the same weekend. It would be a bit early, a full two weeks before the wedding, but Jo couldn't really expect the two female Dukes to fly up twice. By now, Jo was wondering what her friend had in the works. There had been several times that she'd walked into her office at work only to have Stephanie give her big smiles while she was on the phone. Somehow, Jo was wondering if she might need bail money yet again so soon. At least she knew that this time if she was arrested, she wouldn't be sitting in a jail cell alone.

~01~

Jo left the museum a little early so that she could get to the airport in time for Kira and Daisy's flight. Though why she even bothered she didn't understand. It seemed that this time of year half of the flights were delayed due to weather. Finally, their plane landed and Jo waited at the gate for the women to get off of the plane. When Daisy caught sight of Jo, she rushed over and captured her in a tight hug.

"Oh, honey! I can't believe that you only have two more weeks left until the wedding. Then you'll be in Hazzard with us fulltime."

"I know. These last two and a half months have really flown by. So, are the guys taking the opportunity to have their own party while you two are out of town?"

"Nah. Jebb's got the boys. He'll need to stay sober to keep up with them. The last time I was up here they wore him out and they were only crawlin' then. They're a bit more mobile now. I think that Jebb has learned to limit just where they can go though to just two rooms at a time. But the moment they learn how to climb over those baby gates he's in trouble."

The women all laughed as they thought of the one Duke Boy who also was the only father of the group trying to keep up with not one but two tiny Duke Boys of his own all by himself.

"Besides, as far as the fellas need to know, we are here for a bridal shower," Daisy said as the group headed down to get their luggage. "The men have their party planned for the night before you're suppose to go to Hazzard."

"Great, so that means Luke will be so hungover that I'll need one of you two to pick me up at the airport instead," Jo said laughing.

"Speakin' of hungover, I brought something to make our own party a bit more fun." Daisy winked. She'd brought some 'shine with her and figured that it would be perfect for the bachelorette party.

The women all got a cab and headed towards Jo's apartment and got settled in for the night knowing that tomorrow would be a busy day. The bridal shower was in the morning, the bachelorette party was in the evening. Then the next day would be busy with picking up the dresses for the ceremony and nailing down the last of the details that had yet to be figured out.

Afterwards, Daisy and Kira would have to go back to Hazzard since Daisy would need to get back for her shift the next day at the Boar's Nest. But for right now, it will be all about having fun and, for some of the women showing up for the bachelorette party, embarrassing the guest of honor.


	31. Bachelorette Party

**Chapter 31: Bachelorette Party**

Jo had been having fun during the bridal shower but had noticed that each time that a new woman came into Stephanie's apartment; she had her to go off into the kitchen for a few minutes before joining the rest of the group. Finally after everyone that was invited had arrived, Stephanie brought out an empty pickle jar with folded up pieces of paper in it.

"Jo, I figured that this might be a fun way for everyone to give you their advice before you get married. Everyone filled out a slip of paper, though no one wrote their names on it. See if you can figure out what advice came from married women and which came for a single woman." Steph handed the jar to Jo who looked around before shrugging and reached into the **Advice ****for the Bride Jar**.

Pulling out the first slip of paper, Jo unfolded the slip and read aloud, "_Forget what you've heard, going to bed mad can be fun_."

The women all giggled as they tried to point out who had given that bit of advice. Then Jo continued to pull out the advice, receiving laughs at nearly each one.

_"Never withhold sex to prove a point. The point is never made and you've just punished yourself._

_Never ask how you look in an outfit, he'll lie anyway._

_Men never ask for directions, keep a map in your purse._

_The best way to win an argument is to slowly start taking your clothes off. He can't concentrate on two things at once._

_To keep a man happy, meet him at the door naked at the end of the day holding a beer. He'll think that he's died and gone to Heaven._

_Don't hold past mistakes against him, he'll make plenty of new ones for you to use against him instead._

_If you want to be treated like a Queen, treat him like a King._

_Marriage should not be the giving of 50/50. It should be 100/100. You give 100% to the marriage and so should he. 50/50 means you only are putting half of yourself into the marriage."_

When Jo pulled out the next one, she laughed out loud. "This one has got to be from a married woman! Listen to this one. _If after a while the grass looks greener somewhere else, it usually means that there just is more shit to deal with on that side of the fence_."

The room erupted in laughter at the bit of advice that had been left for the bride. Jo continued to read the _advice_ then she was to open presents that her friends had brought her. Most of the presents were the usual presents that one would expect to get at a bridal shower. That is until she got to Stephanie's gift; Jo opened the card and read it out loud.

_"I thought I'd help you pack for the Honeymoon. Inside is the only thing that you'll need to wear while you and Luke are on the beach. Hope you enjoy."_

Daisy stepped behind Jo to peek over her shoulder to see what was in the box that Stephanie had given Jo. "What is it, honey?" Jo opened the box and pulled out a bottle of suntan lotion. "I think Luke still might consider you overdressed," Daisy said as Jo held up the bottle.

"Probably. Though it might be fun getting help putting it on."

"Especially since the two of you have spent most of the engagement hundreds of miles apart. At least you got to go to Hazzard for Christmas though."

"Yes, but my father kept an eagle eye on us the whole time."

"You're kidding! So it's been..." Daisy started to figure up just how long it had been since Jo and Luke would have had the chance to be together. If they didn't get together over Christmas and she would have been recovering from the miscarriage over Thanksgiving… Daisy's eyes went wide, "No wonder he's been working on extra chores out at the house. He's had a lot of extra energy to get rid of."

"Jo, I think that you're going to have one hell of a wedding night. You'll have a sex deprived Duke Boy on your hands. Somehow I don't think that you two will stay at the reception for very long." Kira smirked from the other side of the room. "If going a week was tough for Jebb, I bet Luke's about to die." The room again busted out laughing as the only woman besides the bride who had experience with the Duke Male libido spoke up. "You sure that you don't want to fly down before the wedding to help him out with his problem? Otherwise, you may not survive the Honeymoon."

"Alright, our next game is about to start," Stephanie called out as most of the women had gotten to the apartment for the bachelorette party finally. "We are going to play the game called **'I Never'**. I'll pull out a slip of paper of things that many women in the room have never done. Any woman that has done the act that has been called out has to take a shot of the whiskey that Daisy was so nice to bring along."

Jo eyed the shampoo bottle that Daisy had snuck the 'shine in, knowing just how strong the stuff was.

"I'll get us started with, _I've never lied about my age_." A few women in the room took a shot then Stephanie pulled out another slip of paper out.

"_I've never cheated on a boyfriend_." Stephanie took a shot at that one. From there, she listed out the next few _nevers_.

"_I've never gone __skinny dipping_." Jo as well as both Duke women took shots at that one.

"_I've never performed a strip-tease for my boyfriend or husband_." About half of the women took a shot after that one.

"_I've never had sex in a car_." Jo was thinking that she'd never make it out of the apartment at this rate.

"_I've never had sex tied up_." Only one woman took a shot after that one. Daisy gave Kira an amused look as she put her glass down. She'll have to ask her about that one later on.

"_I've never had a one night stand_."

_"I've never kissed another woman."_

"_I've never had sex on a plane_."

Daisy looked around before asking, "Does it matter if it was on the ground?"

"Throw it back girl, no it doesn't." Stephanie laughed as Daisy took the shot.

"_I've never had sex outside_." Again, Jo groaned as she took her own shot. Fortunately, that was the last of the 'shine.

"Whoops, it looks like the bottle had a hole in it." Stephanie laughed. "Oh well, it was time to head out anyway. The limo should be downstairs for those of us who don't have to worry about husbands and boyfriends at home."

"Kira, are you comin'?" Daisy asked since she didn't really want her to get in trouble with Jebb.

"Yes. Jebb and I have an agreement. I don't ask him what happens during the bachelor party and he won't ask me what happens tonight. After all, neither one of us had our own before getting married."

"Great, let's go."

The women headed down and filled the limo that Stephanie had waiting on them. Once in the limo, Stephanie pulled out a clipboard from a bag that she'd brought with her.

"This last game will be just for the Bride-to-be. Jo, you'll be going on a scavenger hunt. Here is a list of things that you have to do or gather."

Jo took the clipboard from Stephanie. "You've got to be kidding?"

"Nope. You have to do everything on that list."

"Luke would kill me if he knew I did half the stuff on this list."

"That's why he won't find out, unless you tell him." Stephanie laughed. Jo started to read some of the dares on the list, mortified that her friend expected her to all of these tonight.

_Get change for the condom machine from a man. Men who are working don't __count, so forget asking the bartender_

_Get a lock of a man's chest hair._

_Get a pair of men's underwear._

_While at the club, kiss the ugliest man in the joint._

_Stand up on a chair and remove your bra. Keep your shirt on! This isn't a talent show._

_Get at least three single men's business cards._

_Grab a relationship or sex quiz from a magazine like Cosmo or Glamour._

_Get a written warning from a cop._

_Get a man to buy you a drink._

_Buy a stranger a drink._

_Get a picture of a guy with the same name as the groom._

_Get a guy your father's age to dance with you._

_Do a body shot._

_Find a guy with an accent. _

"Well that one shouldn't be too hard. This is New York after all." Jo said as she read that one.

_Have three men sign your shirt and leave their phone number._

"I am not going to get you phone numbers to men so that you can get some dates, Steph!" Jo said. "In fact, why do I have to do all of this anyway?"

"It'll be fun, Jo! Besides, you were the one that said no to the stripper. This is what you get instead."

"I think Jo's right. After all, you've work really hard on this party. Why not join in on the fun yourself," Kira said from the other end of the long seat in the limo. "How about you have all of the other women compete to see who can do the most dares. Let's see, I'll even put up some money for the prizes. What do ya'll think?"

The women all made a quick copy of the list of the dares then hit the sidewalk for a little while to give them time to do some of the dares before heading on into the club.

Kira nursed a beer as she kept watch over both Daisy and Jo. Jo was picking and choosing the lesser dares off of the list though Daisy was already two thirds of the way through her list and was way past being _just a little drunk_. Kira didn't want to be a wet blanket so she didn't try to rein her in from having her fun. She only kept one eye on her, knowing that she doesn't get a chance to cut loose very often without the Duke Men around to watch over her. Even now, Daisy was just finishing up a body shot. One thing that did make Kira feel a little better was that Jo seemed uncomfortable going through the dares that were on the list. She didn't want to do anything that she couldn't tell Luke about later on.

Eventually, it was time to do something more than just sit back and watch over her cousin. Kira headed over to where Daisy was slowly being led toward the door by a guy that she'd been dancing with. Kira left the bar and went over to where Daisy was at and slipped an arm through one of hers.

"Daisy, there you are. You're missin' the fun. Steph was the first woman to complete her list. Come on."

"Hey! Where are you taking her?" The man that had been Daisy's dance partner asked. He'd been so convinced that he'd found a sure thing. Now one of her friends was leading her away.

"Come wifv me, Tony! It'll be show much fun," Daisy said, not quite slurring as much as Kira expected considering just how much she's had to drink so far.

"I think Tony's ready to leave, Days." Kira gave the man a look that left no question; he was going to leave without Daisy. "I think that the girls are about ready to head back to the limo, anyway."

Jo wasn't surprised that Stephanie was the first of the women to complete the list of some forty-odd dares on it. She'd always been a bit outgoing when it came to walking up to men that she didn't know. Laughing, she along with the other women headed on out to the limo.

Considering just how much nearly all of them were staggering, Jo doubted that they'd been able to find the subway. It looks like the limo was a good idea. They asked the driver to drop Jo, Kira and Daisy off at Jo's apartment while the rest went on to Stephanie's to crash for the night. And crash is what they did. Daisy passed out as soon as she fell on the bed and Jo barely bothered to change out of her clothes before doing the same.

Having stopped drinking hours ago, Kira was still fairly sober so she checked the locks to the apartment and then set the alarm for the morning. Mid-morning. They still had to get their dresses before leaving, hangovers or not. But at least she wouldn't have to be up before dawn.

Going over to the couch, Kira grabbed a blanket and curled up on it to get a few hours of sleep.

****BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!****

Daisy reached over to try to turn off the blaring of the alarm but fell short on reaching it. The alarm was on Jo's side of the bed, not Daisy's. Finally Jo was able to get coordinated enough to turn off the blasting. Slowly, the women all got up from wherever they were sleeping. Though no one was very chipper this morning.

"Who set that damn thing?" Daisy asked as she held her head while she sat up in the bed.

"I did. We still have a lot to do before our flight heads out tonight," Kira said as she brought both women a glass of water. Something that neither had drunk much of last night.

Taking one of the glasses, Daisy groaned as she leaned her head back against the headboard. "You could have figured out a better way to wake us up without the alarm, Kira."

Smirking, "Just be glad that it was Jo that you woke up next to. I could have let you leave with that one guy that let you do a body shot off of him."

"What guy?" Daisy asked as she tried to remember the events from the night before.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I stopped you, though, because I wasn't going back to Hazzard to explain to four angry Duke Men that I lost you while in New York. Only able to say that the last I saw you was when you left the bar with a strange man."

Jo looked between the two women that very soon would be her family. "They'd kill you if you did that."

"Which is why I didn't intend to do it. I'm guessin' that neither of you two could stomach any breakfast." At the mere mention of food, Jo gagged while Daisy got up and raced to the bathroom. "I'll take that as a no."

Later on that day Jo, along with all of her bridesmaids, left the bridal shop each with their dresses in garment bags.

"I still say that you should let me and Daisy take the dresses back with us. I can hang them up and make sure that any wrinkles that set in on the flight down come out. Plus, in two weeks you're goin' to be mighty busy getting everything together. This will be one less thing to worry about."

"I don't know..."

"Kira's right, the flight down alone will be rough on the dresses. We'll be able to make sure that they are all perfect for you by the time that you fly down."

Jo considered the suggestion. She kind of didn't want to let her dress out of her sight before the wedding but at the same time knew that the others were right. Plus it will be a bit stressful making sure that she had everything that she'd need before going to Hazzard for the wedding. "Alright. But don't let no one else see it."

"I promise. I'll take real good care of it," Kira said. "Now I think Daisy and I had better go pack so we can make our flight."

"I'll make sure to call Luke as soon as your plane is in the air. That way everyone will know you're on your way."

"And so that you get to talk to him today again." Daisy giggled. "Have you decided if you wanted to pull that prank on him yet?"

"I don't think so, Daisy. I don't think I want to start my marriage off with getting Luke mad. Sorry."

"That's alright. I understand." But that doesn't mean that she couldn't pull the prank for herself.


	32. Ready to Strap on the Ball & Chain?

**Chapter 32: Ready to Strap on the Ball & Chain?**

The men all gathered over at the Boar's Nest for the Stag party that Bo and Judd arranged for Luke. The two had spent a lot of time on the phone nailing down just what all they wanted to do for Luke's Bachelor party in the weeks leading up to it. The bar was usually closed on Monday nights, but Boss had been willing to let the Dukes use the bar for the party. For a price.

Bo had made sure that Coy and Vance were both in town for the party and had invited all of their friends from around town. Beer was flowing like water as every man walked up to Luke to either congratulate him or offer their condolences. Finally, Bo got up to offer a toast to the guest of honor. Getting everyone's attention, Bo took center stage.

"Well folks. As you all know, we're here to bid farewell to the Luke Duke that we have all known our whole lives. As of this upcoming Thursday, his life as he knows it will come to an end."

"Geez, Bo. I ain't dyin'. Cut it out would you?" Luke groaned.

"Well, Luke Duke the Bachelor is dyin'. You'll be the new, somewhat responsible, married Luke Duke."

"And that will be bad, how?" Luke asked with a soured expression. The men all laughed as Bo and Luke went back and forth in their usual banter. Judd however had his own spill for his brother's party.

"Hey, Luke; what I want to know is how does it feel to be at the bottom of the chain of command?"

"Wait a minute? What are you talkin' about?" Dobro asked.

"Didn't you hear? Luke here was a sergeant in the Marines. He's marrying a woman who was a captain and her father is a general. No matter how you look at it, Luke's gonna be outranked." Judd laughed along with the men that found the humor of Luke Duke, Mr. I'm-in-Charge, is marrying a superior.

"Well, women always order their husbands around anyway. Lucky for Luke, he's used to followin' orders." Cooter belted out between laughs.

"He may be a bit out of practice on that one though!" One of the men in the room shouted out.

"I'm sure she'll have him stand at attention often enough though!" Another man shouted out.

"Hey, Luke. We all went in to write up an announcement for the wedding but Uncle Jesse wouldn't let us put it in the paper," Coy said from the table with Vance and Jebb. Standing up, Coy cleared his throat in a dramatic way and read the fake obituary.

_"On February the fourteenth, Hazzard, Georgia lost one of its more prominent bachelors. Lukas Keith Duke was tragically taken down by one of Cupid's very own arrows. The effect was instant. Family and friends were all present to witness this terrible event that took place at the local church in the late evening hours of the fourteenth as the last vestiges of his bachelorhood melted away like the winter's snow and was laid to rest. _

_Luke Duke was preceded in the death of his bachelorhood by his cousin, Jebb Stewart Duke by a little over two years. He was survived by his remaining cousins: Beauregard Duke, Vance Duke, Coy Duke as well as his sole sibling; his brother Judd Kaine._

_Lukas K. Duke left a long string of broken hearts in his wake upon his death but his cousins and brother have come out saying that they are devoted to helping to ease the pain and suffering of all the women left behind after his demise-"_

"Alright, that's enough," Luke said from his seat. "Just because I'm gettin' married, it don't mean that I'm as good as dead. Look at Jebb. He still cuts loose; races even and he has kids."

"Bad example, Cuz," came from Vance's direction.

"Why's that?" asked Luke.

"Because I'd say that he's been whipped." Vance chuckled as Jebb turned to him looking more than a little offended.

"I have not." Jebb crossed his arms.

"Really? What time do you have to be home, Cuz?" Coy jumped in. Jebb gave Coy a dirty look but didn't say anything. "That's what I thought. Gone are the days of stumblin' in just in time for mornin' chores."

"Well, I can think of a couple of really good reasons to not want to stay out until the early mornin' hours anymore," Luke jumped in.

Actually, right now those reasons felt like good ones to not want to leave the house at all for a while. The men continued to kid Luke and to some extent, Jebb, while Bo and Cooter went off in a corner to prepare to bring their _present_ for Luke over.

"What's this?" Luke looked at the box that Bo and Cooter together had put in front of him with more than just a little bit of wariness.

"Open it."

Luke cocked a brow than started to peel the newspaper and duct tape off of the box. Opening the box, Luke pulled out what used to be a bowling ball with what looked like logging chain attached to it. It looked like a hole had been drilled between two of the finger holes to lock the chain onto the ball.

"A bit cheesy don't you think?" Luke looked over the gift that had been given to him.

"We figured that we'd give you a little practice in trying to get around with the 'ole ball and chain attached to you." Bo slapped Luke on the back as Cooter took the chain and locked it around Luke's ankle.

"Wait a minute, this ain't funny."

"Really? Then why's the whole room breakin' out in belly laughs, Lukas Dukas?" Cooter chuckled as Luke tried to follow him as he moved away from the table only to come up short by the weight on his leg. It couldn't be just sixteen pounds. What did Cooter do to this thing to make it so heavy?

"Get it off," Luke said with a bit of an edge to his voice.

"Not until the end of the party, Luke."

Meanwhile Judd had gone behind the bar to get a metal trash can and a stack of cheap black address books. "Alright, now, Big Brother. It's time to burn the little black book with all the names of the women of your past. Though everyone knows that one book could never hold all the names of a Duke's Exes. So that's why we have brought these." Luke looked over at his brother who now had a rather large stack of address books on a table. "Are you ready to let all of these women go? If so, here's the matches."

Luke shook his head in disbelief that the guys had gone this far. Getting blank address books to burn since he'd never bothered to keep up with such things. "Alright. Bring it over here. I'll burn them."

"No can do, Cuz." Bo smirked. "You have to walk over to him if you're really ready to send those address books up in smoke."

The crowd all busted out laughing as Luke gave his family a dirty look as he tried to negotiate the ball and chain. The ball was the heaviest bowling ball that Cooter could find before he'd doctored it up just a tad and the chain wasn't long enough for him to just pick it up and carry it. Instead, Luke was forced to make his way across the room slowly as he drug the ball behind him.

"Alright, give me those matches so we can get this over with."

"One book at a time, Luke." Judd smiled as he put the first book into the can. "This here is for the names of A-B."

"Whatever." Luke lit the match then held it to the pages of the fake address book and watched as it went up in flames. Behind it went C-D, E-F, and then he reached for the G-H. When Luke picked it up he looked in it. On the front page, was the only name that the fellas had actually bothered to write into the book, Joanna Hart. Seeing what they were up to, he ripped the page out before setting it on fire. This continued on until all of the rest of the address books were burned. "There, satisfied?"

"How'd it feel to say goodbye to all of those women, Cuz?" Bo asked as he came up to clap Luke on the back.

"You care to try it yourself to find out, Bo?"

"Heck no! I plan to stay single. I'll be the fun-loving uncle for the boys, but at the same time, I'll get to stay as wild as I want with no one woman to answer to. The best of both worlds."

"You mean be as wild as Uncle Jesse will let you."

Bo shrugged as he acknowledged the condition of his own bachelorhood. "Uncle Jesse I can handle. But you won't find me lettin' some dame tame me."

"Famous last words," Luke said smirking.

"Alright, enough you two," Coy called over from his table. "Hey, Judd! What's next?"

"Actually I think-"

"We are."

The men all turned to see about a half dozen of Luke's ex-girlfriends coming in through the door with Ruby at the front of the pack with a devilish grin on her face.

"Uh girls, this is a private party," Bo said. He was all up for a little fun just as much as the next guy but if Ruby was involved, this can't be good for Luke.

"That's why we're here. We were all a bit offended that none of us were invited to the wedding but we figured that it was probably because you didn't want your fiancée to have to come face to face with anymore of your exes than she has to. At least not until after she has that golden band on her finger. So we figured that we'd come by tonight instead. After all, it looks like this party could use a little bit of a... Shall we say, a feminine touch," Ruby said with a wicked grin.

"And just what do you have in mind?" Luke asked, knowing full well that Ruby could not really be all that heart-broken by his engagement.

Ruby's grin got wider, "Well, the girls here figured that you may want the opportunity to get one last glimpse of just what you're claiming to be ready to give up for that woman that you're marryin'."

At this time, the men in the room got the drift of why the group of women were here and began to call out encouragements to them. Ruby went over to the Jukebox and put in some money while the other six women took that as their cue and began to perform a striptease for the room, mainly for the guest of honor who, for once, seemed a bit uncomfortable by the attention given to him by the women. Ordinarily, such a show might would be fun to watch, but he knew that they were only here as some weird sense of wicked revenge or something since he was getting married.

Jebb went over to Judd and Bo and whispered to them, "What's the big idea plannin' this? I happen to be a happily married man and would like to stay that way. Kira would flip if she found out about this."

"Don't look at me," Judd said with a grin on his face. "This isn't the entertainment that I had planned. Though I doubt that the men here will settle for a singer as an entertainer anymore. Bo, I didn't know you were goin' to get some of the local girls to act as strippers."

"I didn't. I'm as surprised as the rest of you," Bo said as he was beginning to find if difficult concentrating on his male cousins. What with the female bodies swaying to the music in front of him as those bodies slowly began to lose more and more clothing.

It didn't take long for all eyes to be drawn to those women who grew even more bold as they heard the cat calls from the men from around the room. The lights were dimmed by Ruby, though that was mainly to conceal the camera that she was using to snap pictures of the room and its occupants. One never knew just when such incriminating evidence could come in handy. Though for right now she was only concerned with one particular Duke Boy that had she'd been waiting years to get revenge on from when they dated right after high school.

~01~

Meanwhile, Candy had been waiting in Boss's office for the friend of a friend, Judd Kaine, to come in and tell her that everyone was ready for her to sing at his brother's party. According to Judd, his brother was a big fan so he figured that he'd enjoy seeing Candy Dix in person for once. She usually wouldn't have bothered with a small party like this. A bachelor party no less, but she figured that the party would give her a chance to look up her old flame. She was recently single again, and while she had no intention of rekindling their romance, it was good for a girl's ego to still feel desired from time to time.

When Candy heard shouting for the main room, she took a peek out of the office. Watching the impromptu strip show, Candy doubted that she'd be needed tonight after all. Instead, she started to get her things together and carried her guitar out to her car and decided that she'd head back to the hotel a little early. When Candy finished packing up her car, she looked up and was surprised to see a familiar face just outside the main entrance to the bar.

"Luke?"

Luke looked up at hearing his name and his jaw dropped, not really expecting to see the woman who had called his name. Yet another ex-girlfriend, this time one that he'd come mighty close to asking to marry him back when he was in the Marines. Had even thought about it many times, even practiced in the mirror but had never built up the nerve back then to ask.

"Candy? What are you doing here?"

"Well I was asked to sing at the bachelor party of a brother of a friend's friend. Somehow, though, I doubt that I'll be singin' anymore. What about you?"

"I'm the bachelor. It was supposed to be my party before the women crashed it. I thought that I'd better get out of there before things went any further. Otherwise, I might not make it down the aisle this week."

"You the one getting married? Well, this is a surprise," Candy said taken aback at the news that her ex-boyfriend was the bachelor getting married. She let her brown eyes take in the sight of the man that she'd hoped to get together with while she was in town. "Well, step out of the shadows so I can take a look at you."

"That'll be a bit difficult," Luke said as he stumbled forward, with Bo's and Cooter's present still attached to his ankle. "The guys were havin' a bit of fun earlier."

Candy moved her blonde hair out of her face and looked down and saw what he was talking about and started to laugh. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yeh, they thought I needed a ball and chain for the night. Though I swear that Cooter added some weight to this old ball. This sucker is heavy. He must have filled it with lead or something."

"Your friends must have really taken their time planning this then."

"I think that they have been plannin' it ever since November," Luke said shaking his head.

"November?"

"Something wrong?"

"I don't know, I just didn't think that you'd ever get married and if you ever did-"

"I know, everyone assumes that if I'm getting married it's because I have to instead of because I want to."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out that way," Candy looked away as she spoke.

"Don't worry about it. Like I said, you're not the only one that thought that. Would you do me a favor?"

"Sure thing, Luke. What do you need?"

"Well, I don't think that I can get this thing into the General Lee. Do you mind giving me a lift over to the garage? Cooter has to have something that I can use to get this blasted thing off."

"Sure, I can do that. But are you certain that you want to leave your own party? Won't you be missed?"

"Darlin', at the rate things were goin' in there, I doubt anyone in there would notice if half the town caught fire."

Candy laughed at the truth of the statement. Luke carefully got into her car and she dropped him off in front of the garage. After he assured her that he'd be fine, she headed to the hotel after wishing Luke good luck on his marriage. Luke then got his keys out with the spare key to the garage that he's had for years and let himself into the garage and set to work on freeing his ankle from the sick joke that had been attached to it.

~01~

Inside, Judd said mainly to himself, "I suppose I should go tell Candy that she can leave."

Bo was struck by a sense of wrongness at that statement. "Judd, what did you say?"

"Huh, oh, I was just sayin' that I should tell Candy that she can leave. Why?"

"Candy who?" Bo's attention was now fully on his cousin.

"Candy Dix. Luke's a fan and I was able to arrange it through a friend to get her here for the party. It's amazing what someone will do for a couple of free tickets to the fights."

"Shit! You have to get her out of here!" Bo got up from his seat and pulled Judd up with him.

"What is wrong? Luke has every single one of her albums."

"He dated her, seriously, back when he was in the Marines. She even came to town a couple of years back. Where is she?"

"Boss's office." The two cousins slipped off to the now empty office.

"Where'd she go?" Bo asked as he looked around.

"She must have decided to take off after the other girls showed up."

"Good. One crisis averted. Now we can go back and enjoy the show. I have to say, I wasn't expectin' nothin' like this but I ain't complainin' none."

The men headed back out to the main part of the bar and Judd stopped Bo before he got more than a step away from the door.

"Where's Luke?"

"Huh?"

Bo looked the bar over and couldn't find his older cousin anywhere. Looking back to Judd, they both started to look for Luke. They checked the storage room then headed outside and looked around the lot to find any trace of him. They did see where Luke had been dragging the ball and chain and saw where the drag marks ended where a car had been parked.

"Well, he left out with someone. But who?" Bo said as he looked around at the cars in the parking lot.

"Bo, just how serious did Luke date Candy?"

"I think they got pretty close to marriage. Why?"

"This is where Candy's car was parked."

Bo exchanged a look with Judd before saying, "Shit!"

~01~

When Luke was finally able to get the blasted chain off of his leg, it was already reaching the early morning hours so instead of making his way home he figured that he'd just sleep in loft over the garage and make a call for someone to pick him up in the morning. Climbing up into the loft, Luke grabbed a blanket to fight off the chill as he stretched out on the cot that Cooter kept up there after finding his stash of 'shine.

Luke had been so busy fending off the jokes from the other men tonight he'd never really had time to think much about what they'd been saying but now that he was alone, he could mull over what they'd said. Was he really ready to get married?

He had assured Jo that he was, that she had nothing to worry about as far as his eye wandering later on. But will he really be able to control himself? He didn't have any doubts that he loved Jo. Heck, tonight he was with Candy and it barely fazed him. If anyone should have been hard to walk away from it would have been her. But if he ever hurt Jo he'd never forgive himself.

~01~

Jo double checked her luggage as she waited for Stephanie to meet her at her apartment to pick her up. She was staying with her tonight so they could head out together tomorrow to fly to Hazzard. Nearly everything had been packed away within the last couple of weeks and Stephanie would pack up whatever she had needed since she'd packed and ship it to Hazzard after the wedding.

Now, she had what she would need for the next couple of days in Hazzard in one bag with her luggage for the honeymoon in another and her cosmetics in her carry-on bag. She still had a hard time believing that her father had sprung for that as a gift. After she was finished double checking her luggage, suddenly glad that Kira and Daisy had taken the dresses back to Hazzard with them, Jo gave a final look around her apartment that she'd been in less than a year. In just a couple of days, she'll be a married woman. Married to none other than Luke Duke. Hearing the bell, Jo went out to meet Stephanie. Ready for her final night in New York as a single woman.


	33. Flight 597

**Chapter 33: Flight 597**

Bo and Judd both jumped into the General and headed off to find Luke. Hoping that they hadn't just put a major flaw in the slaw as Rosco would put it. Judd had no idea that he'd invited the only woman to town that Luke had ever seriously considered asking to marry him to town. Now both she and his brother have mysteriously disappeared, apparently together. Now the two were on a devil's mission to keep Luke from making a horrible mistake that he'd definitely would regret.

Sending the General down the back roads while the two Dukes kept an eye out for Candy's car (only Judd knew what it looked like) they swiftly made their way to town. Once there, Judd spotted Candy's car in front of the Hazzard hotel. Glancing at one another, they both figured that it was already too late.

"Damn! I thought Luke had better sense that that! Jo's coming in tomorrow. I can't believe that he'd take off with another woman so close to the weddin'!" Bo slammed the wheel as he stopped the stock car a block away and stared at the car that he and Judd had been looking for.

"Now hold on. We don't know for sure that Luke's in there." Bo gave Judd a look like he had to be stupid if he thought that his brother wasn't in the hotel room with his ex-girlfriend. "Well let's at least be sure before we condemn him."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Bo asked, really hoping that his cousin wasn't in the hotel but all the evidence so far pointed in that direction.

"Well, I could go it, chat Jason up. Surely I can find out if Luke is in there without anyone knowin' that he's missin'."

"Alright. I'll park in the garage until you get done. The temperature's droppin' like a stone out here."

Bo dropped Judd off at the hotel and headed toward their home away from home. Or more like the General's home away from home. He's spent a lot of time here in the garage. So much that Cooter had long since given him and Luke their own keys. Sliding the doors open, Bo drove the car in and closed the door back against the winter chill outside. There was a massive front passing through that was sitting right over the east coast and was already dropping snow all over the eastern seaboard from Georgia all of the way up to Maine.

When Bo made it inside, he started to fumble around the garage as he tried to find some outlet for his pent up energy. Finally, he just slammed his hands down on the hood of the orange stock car and cursed. "Damn it, Luke!"

"What?" Came a tired voice from overhead. It hadn't been long since he'd passed out after finishing the jar of 'shine that had been kept up in the loft.

"Luke? Are you up there?"

"Of course I'm up here. Where else would I be?" Luke rolled off of the cot and went to stand over at the ladder over-looking the garage.

"Nowhere," Bo said, a little embarrassed at what he'd thought that Luke was doing instead of sleeping up in the loft, alone. "Why did you come here anyway?"

"Well I had to get that blasted ball off of my leg. Took me forever to do it, too. All of Cooter's torches were removed; I'm guessin' that ya'll planned that. Right?"

"Well, sort of. How did you-"

"It wasn't easy. I'll tell you that much. How long did it take you to realize I was gone?"

"I…uh... I'm not sure exactly." As Luke made his way down the ladder, Judd came into the garage and stopped in mid-step when he saw his brother. Giving a quizzical glance at his younger cousin, Bo only shrugged back at Judd. "Well, do you think that it's safe to head back yet?"

"Probably not," Luke said as he walked over to the car.

"How did you slip out without anyone noticin' you with that ball, Luke?" Judd asked, more than a little curious.

"Enos helped. He was lookin' for an excuse to get out of there anyway. Between the two of us, it was easier to make it out of the bar. Of course his face was so red by the time we got out he was nearly purple. I don't think he'd ever seen that much female flesh in all of his life."

"Good old Enos. Look, we're sorry that things didn't work out so well," Bo said, still hoping that Luke wouldn't figure out just what he and Judd had thought when they found him missing along with Candy. "So it was Enos that gave you a ride?"

"Nah. I sent him on once I got outside. He was so flustered; I figured that it was best. I'd planned to catch a ride with Jebb but he was already gone by the time I got that mammoth of a ball outside. Candy came out and I asked her to drop me off on her way to the hotel."

"Candy?"

Luke saw the look in Bo's eye, the one he exchanged with Judd. "Nothin' happened if that's what you're thinkin'. She wished me luck on the marriage and left."

"Who said that we were thinkin' anything? Come on. If we ain't goin' back, then we might as well head home. It looks like the snow's pickin' up," Bo said as he got in the car while Judd opened the doors so that the car could leave.

Luke shook his head thinking about how weird of a night it had been. At least he'll get to sleep in the nice warm house instead of the cold loft tonight. One thing that he did know through the shine induced fog though; he couldn't wait for Jo's plane to land tomorrow.

~01~

The next morning, Luke woke up with more than a slight headache but it could have been much worse. He'd drunk quite a bit of 'shine over at the garage before Bo and Judd found him and brought him home. He'll have to remember to replace Cooter's stash. Though maybe not too quickly. After all, he was still annoyed about the ball and chain that he'd put on him last night.

Getting up, he thought about maybe leaving Bo asleep. After all, he was going to have to learn how to get himself awake for morning chores. Only two more mornings and Luke will have a roommate of a completely different kind. Bo will be on his own. Looking over at two of the cots in the room, Luke noticed that neither Coy nor Vance had made it home after the bachelor party. It didn't take much imagination to know that they must have gone home with some of the women who had shown up last night.

Well, he wasn't going to handle the morning chores by himself so after he got dressed he snatched the blankets away from both Bo and Judd before dumping the blankets onto his own bed. Afterwards, he walked out of the room to get started with the chores as he grinned at the nearly identical reactions that he'd gotten from his little brother and younger cousin.

Luke went on outside and caught himself whistling out a tune despite the headache that he had. Then he remembered that by this evening Jo would be here in Hazzard. Then they could get ready for the wedding in only two days. As Bo and Judd stumbled out of the house, a red two door car pulled up and stopped just long enough to let Coy out before backing back out of the drive. Luke smirked; he guessed that meant that Vance had the car last night.

~01~

In New York the snow was getting heavier from the front that was sitting over the eastern seaboard and it was threatening to ground the planes heading out. Jo heard what was going on at the airport on the news and was determined not to end up grounded unable to make her own wedding. Instead of waiting for her noon flight, she and Stephanie headed out to the airport as soon as they woke up and grabbed breakfast at the airport after being put on standby for any of the earlier flights. Jo would rather have a longer layover in D.C. than risk not being able to leave at all.

Finally, she and Steph were put on a plane that was scheduled to leave out at eleven though the plane remained on the runway for more than half an hour before being cleared to take off due to the weather. Once in the air, Jo finally began to relax. She'd make it to Georgia after all. And the layover wouldn't be so bad in D.C. Now if only the weather would hold off enough in D.C. so that her flight out of there would hold up as well, things would work out just fine.

~01~

As the bar got ready for the lunch time rush, Lulu was bustling around trying to picture just how she and the Duke women would decorate the Boar's Nest the following day for the reception the day after tomorrow. Today the church would be decorated, tomorrow the bar.

Boss had complained about Lulu offering to hold the reception in his bar. That is until Lulu had explained just how much business he'd lose if nearly everyone in town was over at the Duke Farm drinking and having a good time for free instead of drinking his watered down beer.

Once the money aspect came into play, Boss relented. Though he was charging a premium price for the party since it was a holiday. But at least he knew that the Dukes didn't really mind the price since Kira and Jebb had agreed to make the arrangements for the reception. J.D figured that he might as well as take in as much money as he could from the party since it wasn't often that the Dukes spend the kind of money as they were more than willing to shell out for Luke's wedding.

He'd tuned out the mutterings and ramblings of his wife and brother-in-law (Lulu had wrangled Rosco into helping her) and went to sit at his desk. Figuring that he'd check over the books again, he opened the desk drawer to get the ledger out and was caught off guard when a small scrap of cloth fell out of the drawer as he lifted the oversized book out. Bending over he picked it up and held it up only to instantly wish he hadn't.

Lulu looked over at her husband just as he lifted a tiny scrap of black lace. When J.D. held it up, Lulu saw that it was a black lace thong. Instantly getting her dander up, Lulu started screaming at Boss as she started to take her purse and started to beat him over the head with it.

"What! Wait a minute! I didn't do nothin'! I swear!"

"Naughty, naughty, Boss. You should have known better than to bring women in here," Rosco said as he watched his sister lay into her husband. Everyone knew that Boss was no saint in any aspect, but Rosco couldn't believe that he'd leave evidence of that sort right here in the office at the bar.

"J.D.! How could you?"

"I didn't! I didn't! It must have been them Dukes! They must have had girls in here last night!"

"J.D. I don't think that them nice boys would have done any such thing!" Lulu continued to berate her husband.

~01~

Back at the farm, the mood was fairly festive as various family members had already began to trickle in for the wedding in a few days. Daisy, Pauline, Aunt Bess, and some of the other women took off for the church right after lunch was cleared away to start decorating it; wanting it done for the rehearsal tomorrow. Kira remained behind since she was still feeding the twins when they left. Everyone else was in the living room trying to relax as the radio played softly in kitchen.

When the radio announcer came on to interrupt the country music, at first Kira only listened with half an ear as the announcer reported that flight 597, from New York to D.C. was reported to have gone down in the winter storm that had engulfed the east coast. The report went on saying that it was not known if there were any survivors at this hour but they would report further news as it was known.

As the men walked out to take care of some chores outside, Kira got a nagging feeling in her stomach as she set the boys out of the high chairs.

"Luke? What flight is Jo coming in on?"

"The plane that she's coming into Capital City is 843. Why?"

"The flight from New York to D.C. What's the flight number?"

"I don't know, why?"

"Please, go check."

Luke looked at his cousin oddly before he headed upstairs to check the flight itinerary that Jo had given him then came back down. "She's supposed to be on flight 597 into D.C. Why?"

"Oh, God!" Kira reached behind her and pulled up a chair as she sank into it. She glanced back at the radio then returned her gaze to her cousin.

"Kira, what's wrong?" He'd not seen his cousin ever go so ashen so fast.

"The radio... it just came over that there was a plane crash." Luke's eyes went wide, trying to not believe what his cousin was about to tell him. He started to shake his head even as Kira continued. "Flight 597 out of New York just went down. They said that they didn't have any reports in yet on survivors."

Luke felt as if someone had just punched him in his gut. There had to be a mistake. That was all. He double checked the flight itinerary again and sure enough, the three numbers hadn't changed. Flight 597. Still he was unwilling to accept what he'd just heard. Instead Luke went and got on the phone and called Capital City to get someone at the airport to tell him that the report had been wrong. It seemed like he'd been on hold forever when someone came on the line only to tell him that they could neither confirm nor deny the report over the phone.

_'Bo, get in the General and get ready to drive as soon as Luke gets in. Don't ask questions. Luke don't need to be drivin' right now.'_ Kira called out to her brother while Luke was still on the phone trying to get the woman on the phone to tell him anything.

Finally, Luke slammed the phone down so hard that it cracked the cradle and stormed out to the car to take off. When he saw Bo perched in the window sill ready to go, Luke looked back to where Kira had followed him out onto the porch then just stomped around to the passenger's side to get in. The car took off while Kira briefly told Bo what had happened then turned to a yard full of family members looking at her expectantly as the stock car tore out of the yard at top speed.

"Kira? What's goin' on?" Jesse came up with obvious concern in his voice.

"You'd better come inside with everyone else. I don't think I can say this twice." Kira turned back to go inside and found a seat on the old couch in the living room of the old farm house. Jay toddled over to her so she absently picked him up and cuddled with him as she waited for the others to come inside.

"Alright. We're all in here. Now do you mind tellin' us what is goin' on?" Jesse asked sounding a bit more gruff than he meant to.

"Uncle Jesse, a report came over the radio..." Kira swallowed a lump in her throat. "A plane was just reported to have gone down. It was...It was Jo's plane."

The room went so silent that the steady breaths of all of the men who were still out at the farm was all that could be heard as they each took in the news.

"Were there survivors?" Vance finally asked, breaking the silence.

"They didn't say. Luke called the airport to see if they could tell him anything but the woman refused to tell him anything over the phone."

"Oh God." Jesse suddenly felt every single one of his years.

He'd experienced the loss of the love of his life already. He'd actually hadn't been much older than Luke was now. If Jo was on that plane, he could only hope that there were survivors and that she'd be one of them. He didn't want to see his oldest go through what he'd gone through with Lavinia. But at least he'd had some really good years with his love. Luke had only recently realized his feelings for Jo. It just didn't seem fair to him that Jo would be taken away from him like this so soon.

Jesse could only hope that Bo was keeping a close eye on him right now. Not to mention, the rest of them would have to do the same just as soon as they got back. A grieved man can do things that he'd never do otherwise. When Lavinia had died in childbirth, he'd at least had the other kids that needed him. Luke? He didn't have that right now. Jesse knew from experience, that Luke was going to feel like he didn't have anything left at all if he'd lost Jo.


	34. No Answers

**Chapter 34: No Answers**

Luke was ready to throttle the desk agent when she'd claimed that she couldn't verify whether or not Jo was on the plane when it went down. The fact that she could stand there so calmly when all Hell was breaking loose for him only served to tick him off even further. When the woman had once again rote off the rules and regulations, Luke slammed both fists down on the counter.

"Damn it! All I need to know is whether or not my fiancée really was on that plane!"

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't have the authority to release that kind of information to non-family members-"

"Non-family! We're supposed to get married in two days!"

"I'm sorry. Those are the rules. I can't-"

"Then who the Hell does have the authority to tell me something! Just how can I find out if Jo was on that plane?" Luke was fuming.

How dare this woman tell him that Jo wasn't his family? It was as if it didn't matter one bit that they were supposed to get married this week. It was no different than if he'd just come in off of the street asking about someone that he'd never even met. Since he and Jo hadn't yet walked down the aisle, he didn't matter at all. He wasn't her husband yet. These rules and regulations, that was all that mattered.

When Luke continued to yell and intimidate the desk clerk, a few security officers were called over to remove the disruptive man from the premises. They informed Luke that he'd have to leave now or the police would be called.

Oh, Sheriff Loomis would love to haul him in. Luke knew that if he got arrested, he'd not be able to find anything out from behind bars. So reluctantly, after staring down the men, Luke turned back toward the door and headed out. Though not before lifting a nearby trash can and tossing the heavy container across the room in full view of dozens of travelers trying to make their own flights.

Getting back into the General, Luke banged on the dash. Bo eyed his cousin but didn't have to ask. He hadn't been told anything. You'd think that someone would have taken pity on him and tried to find something out. Now the two were heading back to the farm with hearts so heavy Bo was certain that if they needed to jump the General it would never leave the ground.

The whole drive, Luke said not a word, just stared out of the window while his jaw worked overtime. When they pulled up into the farm yard it was obvious that the whole family knew what had happened. They had come from all around for a wedding but now it appeared that everyone would be here for a wake instead.

Bo climbed out of the orange stock car and headed over toward where his Uncle Jesse and Uncle John were standing as Luke climbed out of the car and sat on the window sill for a long moment. No one really knew what to say. When Luke finally climbed out of the car, Jesse breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been afraid that Luke would just take off. When Luke walked past his uncles he made his way over to the television and found the news station. If the airport wouldn't tell him anything he only had one way left of finding out just what had happened to Jo.

_**"Reports are still coming in on Delta Flight 597. The commercial jet that went down just a little over two hours ago flying out of New York. Crews have made it to the scene of the crash and are putting out the flames at this hour. At least 97 people have been confirmed dead in today's crash of a passenger plane. Investigators continue to search for clues to what caused the fatal emergency landing, though weather is believed to have played a factor. The Boeing 727 airliner crashed near the city of Rochester."**_

On the television, footage of the crash showed the airliner broken into three pieces and buried in thick snow. Some corpses were shown covered in blankets lying on snow near the plane's debris.

_**"This flight had 105 persons on board, 94 passengers and 11 flight crew. Rescue workers are still searching for the remaining 8 passengers at this hour though there is little hope for survivors at this point. **_

_**Based on the evidence, it is believed that the plane's captain had decided to land at the Buffalo Airport due to bad weather conditions after determining that the weather was too unstable to fly in but had been unable to land so he decided to return to LaGuardia Airport instead. For unknown reasons the plane crashed around five miles away from the airport."**_

~01~

Thomas Hart was shuffling through various papers on his desk making sure that everything was in order for him to take the rest of the week off. He was not scheduled to leave for Georgia until late tonight. He'd tried to get the same flight down as Jo from D.C. to Atlanta but the flight was already booked when he bought his ticket.

It was so hard for Thomas to believe that his daughter was about to be married. Well at least she had the sense to marry a former Marine. Of course he'd been happier if the former wasn't attached to that title but he guessed that he couldn't be too choosy. After all, Jo was now a former Marine herself. And as much as he hated to admit it, he really did like Luke.

Luke had a strong sense of responsibility and family. He'll take good care of his daughter. He'd seen that over Christmas. Which was probably why he'd offered to pay for the honeymoon. Jo loved the Caribbean and Luke had never been so it seemed to be the perfect wedding present.

Now to just get everything cleared away for the next few days. Then he'll be ready to see his little girl walk down that aisle. Though Thomas couldn't say that he was all that ready to give the bride away. Maybe he'll never be ready for that. But at least he knew that Jo would be part of a strong family, have her own place, and have someone that really does love her.

Looking up when he was told that he had a call on line three, he picked up the phone. "General Hart, how can I-"

_"General Hart. This here is Jesse Duke."_

"Mr. Duke. Yes. I wasn't expecting you to call. How can I help you?"

_"General, have you seen the news today... About the plane crash out of New York?"_

Thomas's brows creased, "No...Why?" He didn't like Jesse's tone any more than he liked the question.

_"Well, I don't know how to tell you this... When the reports came over the news...We checked... Hopin' that..."_

"Spit it out. What are you trying to say?" Thomas demanded in his most authoritative tone.

_"It's Jo...It was her plane that went down."_

Thomas felt disconnected from himself as he heard Jesse go on and explain that the flight number on the itinerary that Jo had given Luke for her trip into Georgia was the same one that was being reported to have gone down in New York due to the weather. Jesse told of how Luke had gone to the airport to try to see if there was any chance that Jo wasn't on that plane when it went down. Unfortunately, since Luke was two days shy of being considered family, they wouldn't talk to him at all.

Thomas had been in charge of countless men in his military career, lost more of them than he liked. But here he was being told that it was very likely that his only daughter, his only family, was dead. Nothing in his long military career had ever prepared him for something like this.

Vaguely, Thomas remembered telling Jesse that he'd contact the airline and see if he could learn anything. He'd then call back with whatever he'd learn. Though he certainly wished that he'd have better news than everyone was expecting.

~01~

Luke had gotten tired of everyone eying him, waiting for him to break down. Watching him like he needed a babysitter or something. Finally, when the reports came in that the last of the passengers had been found, all of them dead, Luke went out to the barn and tried to find something to keep him busy. He figured that was his only option to keep the family at bay for just a little while. Because the moment someone said it out loud, Jo really would be gone. And that just couldn't happen. There was no way that God would be that cruel. He wouldn't let him get so close to being happy with the woman that he loves only to take her away like this. It just wasn't true.

In the house, the rest of the cousins were in the house trying to give Luke his space. He wasn't one to accept comfort from others very readily. They all knew that when he was ready, he'd let them know. In the mean-time, all they could do was to stand back and let him grieve in his own way. Bo was especially worried about his cousin. When the last report came across saying that it was confirmed that all of the passengers were dead what little bit of hope that they all had that Jo would be found alive evaporated.

Daisy's heart, too, was breaking for her cousin. He'd kept his heart guarded all of his life. Now that he'd finally let someone past all of the defenses that he'd long ago built up around it, to be given a blow like this was unimaginable.

Daisy had been looking forward to Jo joining the Duke Clan. She genuinely liked Jo. The times that she'd been around her had shown Daisy that Jo would have fit in with the rest of the family just fine. But now Jo won't get the chance to.

Daisy couldn't help the tears that flowed freely from her eyes. Coy saw her crying and had come over to hold her in a tight hug. Ordinarily, Bo would have been the first to comfort Daisy, but right now he was so worried about Luke that everything else seemed to go under the radar.

Vance was about to suggest that one of them should head out to the barn to check on Luke when the unmistakable sound of the General Lee starting up and tearing out of the yard filled their ears. Jumping up, all of the cousins made it to the door just in time to see the tail-end of the orange stock car in the distance highlighted by the white snow all around it.

~01~

When Jesse hung up the phone over at Jebb's (the phone over at the other farm was broken from Luke's earlier conversation with the airport), Coy and Vance came running in with Bo to tell him that Luke had just taken off in the General Lee and tore out of the farm. Jesse instantly became concerned for his oldest. He didn't like the idea of him being off alone right now. Not while he is still taking in just what had happened to Jo. Jesse got everyone organized to go out looking for the grief stricken Duke.

As the family all prepared to head out, Kira asked Pauline to watch the boys much to Jebb's displeasure. When Kira saw that Jebb was about to say something, she cut him off before he could say anything.

"Don't you dare start! If you think that I'm gonna stay behind, then you're out of your mind."

Breathing out hard, Jebb knew that arguing with his wife would be pointless. "Alright, alright. Bo, take the car. We'll take the truck."

Jebb headed on out the door with Bo and Kira right behind him after grabbing his and Kira's coat. If Kira was insisting that she was going to go out looking for their cousin, he could at least make sure that he could keep an eye on her.

~01~

Luke started to fume all over again. Trying to figure out how he could have kept all of this from happening. He could have insisted that Jo stay in Hazzard until the wedding. He could have driven up to bring her down himself instead of letting her take that plane down here. He could have flown up and flown back with her. He...

There had to be some way that he could have kept Jo from dying in that plane crash. Damn it! Why did she have to go and leave him behind like this? It would have hurt less if she'd just decided that she didn't want to get married or wanted to marry someone else instead. But this? He wasn't sure if he could survive this.

He pushed the General as hard as it would go. He needed to go faster. He had to out run the pain. It didn't matter where he went, as long as the pain couldn't go there with him.

He'd turned the CB off. He felt guilty enough without hearing his family on there calling him back. He hated that he was worrying them but he just couldn't stay on the farm for another minute. It was just all too real there. Full of all of the preparations for the wedding. Too close to the cabin that in just a few short days was supposed to be the home of both him and Jo.

He just couldn't be out there and listen to the hollow words that were bound to come from well-meaning friends and relatives. Empty words of condolences wasn't what he wanted to hear right now. He wanted someone to tell him that this was just a horrible nightmare. That there was some sort of mistake. But those words will never come.

~01~

_"Dang it, Luke! Would you answer me already?"_

Jebb and Kira heard Bo once again try to get Luke to answer him on the CB. If Luke won't answer Bo he's not going to answer anyone. He'd even ignored Jesse and John when they'd gotten on the CB and tried to talk to Luke. The airwaves remained eerily silent where the oldest Duke Cousin was concerned. He just didn't answer.

"Bo, I think he's turned his CB off. He ain't goin' to answer. We're heading to the north end of the county to see if we can see any evidence that he'd been up that way. How about you try the western end of it. Coy and Vance took off toward the Hatchapee County line and Uncle John and Uncle Jesse went down toward the south end of the county. Daisy and Judd headed toward town." Jebb heard his cousin let out a sigh before responding to his suggestion.

_"Alright. Hey, Cooter. Have you seen any sign of Luke yet?"_

_" 'Fraid not, Buddy Roo. But I'll send up a holler if I so much as see a flannel shirt out here."_

_"Thanks, Coot."_

Jebb and Kira drove on along the old mountain roads in the northern part of the county for what seemed like forever when they finally found the General on the side of the road like an orange beacon calling out to them to lead them to their missing kin. Kira called in their find to which Bo responded that he was heading their way.

Jebb and Kira got out of the truck and walked over to the abandoned stock car. One good thing about the snow from the night before, it was easy to see where Luke had gone when he'd left the car behind. There was no hiding the clear footprints heading up the steep old mountain trail heading upwards. Very few folks would have taken that trail during the best times of the year. Much less take it in the dead of winter while it is covered in snow and ice.

Getting out of the car, Jebb turns to Kira. "Stay here and wait for Bo. I'll head on up and see if I can find Luke. Shouldn't be too hard." Seeing Kira getting ready to reply, knowing that she wouldn't be happy about staying behind he added. "Come on, Kira, this ain't the time to argue."

"Then don't," Kira said brisk manner as she stepped past Jebb and started to make her way up the trail.

Jebb shook his head as he stared at his wife's back as she headed on in front of him. He just had to fall in love with a woman as stubborn as him. Hurrying up to catch up to Kira, the two made their way slowly up the hiking trail. More than once, Jebb reached out to catch Kira when she slipped on the ice. Looking up at the sky, it looked like more snow was on the way. They'd better find Luke fast. It was getting colder very fast.

~01~

Luke had stopped the car when he came up to the hiking trail that he'd taken Jo on back in August. Without even thinking, he got out and started to head up the mountain. The whole time he was thinking back on every single moment that he'd spent with Jo. From the first time he'd met her in the Disco in South Carolina to when they were both stationed in Japan. All the way to when she made her way to Hazzard.

Luke seemed to go numb to the pain. He wasn't sure if his heart was just blocking it out now or if the cold winter's day was trying to hold it at bay. He really didn't care which it was so long as he just didn't feel it. He pushed his body as hard as he could as he climbed the mountain. So hard that in no time he had begun to work up a sweat that rolled down his back. As the sweat cooled on his skin, the biting chill of the air seemed to smack him even harder as he continued his trek up the trail.

As Luke climbed, his fingers began to go numb along with his soul. He couldn't feel anything at all. When he went to grab a brittle limb to help pull himself up his fingers wouldn't wrap themselves around it.

Stopping to rest, Luke pulled out the small jar of 'shine from his pocket from where he'd stashed it when he saw the batch that had been brought up for the wedding. Figuring that he might as well use it to warm up a bit, Luke clumsily opened the jar with his frozen hands and took a long swallow. If the cold wasn't going to finish numbing him to the pain then the whiskey will do the job.


	35. The Duke Luck Holdin' Strong

**Chapter 35: The Duke Luck Holdin' Strong**

When Jo and Stephanie's plane was finally cleared to land in D.C., the time that Jo had thought that she'd have to spare before making her connection had been taken up by the delay in both take-off and landing due to the storm front that only now was finally beginning to creep away from the east coast. Though a much smaller storm front was on its way, not due to hit Atlanta for at least another several hours. Jo had planned to check in with everyone before heading back out for Atlanta but she and Stephanie were practically running from one gate the next to make sure that they made their connection. When Jo's plane landed in Atlanta she found a payphone and called out to the farm and only got a busy signal. She tried several times before it was nearly time for her commuter flight to make its hop from Atlanta to Capital City.

Hanging the phone up, Jo went over to the lounge area to wait for Stephanie who had gone off to find a restroom. Grabbing a snack, Jo wasn't really paying attention to the crowd around her until a woman in her younger fifties stopped by her table. It was clear that the woman had refused to age, from the make-up that hid her crow's feet to the bottle blonde dye job that hid her gray hair. Unless you looked close, you'd think that she was much younger than she was.

"You seem a little tense. Something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh. I was just hoping to talk to my fiancé on the phone. It's no big deal. I'll see him in about a half an hour or so. I can wait." Jo said surprised by the sudden interest of the stranger.

"So you're getting married? When? Oh I'm sorry. Where are my manners? I'm Tracy."

"Jo," she said as she accepted the hand that was offered to her. "And yes. I'm actually getting married in two days."

"Two days! Well, you're really are down to the wire now aren't you?"

"You could say that. I'm actually on my way to Hazzard for the wedding."

"A town called Hazzard? What an odd name."

"An odd name for an odd town." Jo had to laugh at the thoughts of the small town as they came to her mind. "So what about you? What are you doing?"

"I'm on my way to visit some family. It's been a while but I was hoping that I could get together with some of them, my daughter in particular, for a couple of days."

"That's real nice. I hope your daughter appreciates you coming to see her. Not everyone has a mother willing to hop on one of these small planes to go see their kids," Jo said as she thought back to the mother that she'd never known.

"Well, I hope she'll see it that way. I haven't exactly been the best of mothers. I'm not even all that sure that she'll see me."

"I'm sure that she will. Excuse me. There's my friend. I hope everything goes well for you."

Jo got up from her table and headed over to Stephanie and got ready for that last leg of her trip to Hazzard; glad that the weather, while brutal in its own right down south, wasn't holding up the flights heading out like she'd been worried about up north.

~01~

Luke took several swallows from the jar in his hands before he looked down. When he did, he saw ice crystals forming on the mason jar. He'd long since blocked out the cold, but if the moonshine was starting to freeze, he was in trouble. As much as he wanted to keep heading up to the summit Luke knew that he'd better start heading back down the mountain. Getting slowly to his feet, Luke began to pick his way back down the trail. He had to get back to the horrible reality that was waiting for him.

The more he walked the more exhausted he felt. Which made no sense to him since he knew this trail like that back of his hand. Snow or no snow, he shouldn't be this tired. In the back of his mind, he wondered if the cold was having this effect on him or if it was the emotions that had been running high ever since lunch. Whichever it was, he couldn't succumb to the desire to have another rest. He had to keep moving if he was going to get out of the weather.

The cold was making his steps clumsy though and he had a hard time staying on his frozen feet. Luke hadn't been dressed to take a snowy hike when he'd left the farm and now he was paying for it. Finally, when he slipped on an ice patch, he no longer had the strength to pull himself up. He was too exhausted, too cold and too frozen to get up again. Cursing his own stupidity for climbing the mountain in the first place, Luke began to allow the cold to pull him into the warm embrace of sleep just as he swore he'd heard his name being called.

~01~

Jebb and Kira stumbled their way up the mountain and were getting more than a little weary when Jebb looked up just in time to see his older cousin up ahead as he slipped on a patch of ice. What worried Jebb though was that Luke wasn't getting back up.

"Luke!" Jebb hurried his steps to reach his cousin faster. "Come on, Luke. This ain't you. Wake up, Cuz." Jebb shook Luke for all he was worth to try to wake him back up but Luke was unresponsive to his attempts. Grabbing Luke in a fireman's carry, Jebb picked Luke up and headed down the mountain as fast as he could. About two thirds of the way back down, Bo caught up to his cousins and sister and took Luke from Jebb to finish carrying him down since Jebb was more than tired from the fast-paced, loaded decent down the trail.

It wasn't often that anyone ever needed to go to Luke's rescue. Shoot, Bo could probably count the times that it had happened on his fingers and have some to spare. Now that Luke did need his family to help him, Bo wasn't about to let him down.

"Hang on, Cuz. I got ya," Bo muttered to his unconscious cousin that was across his shoulders. "Just hang on."

~01~

Pauline picked the twins up out of their crib from their naps and put them on the floor to let them play. The only Dukes totally oblivious to what was going on with their _Uncle Luke._ They played and giggled as if nothing was amiss. If only life was so simple.

Pauline sat in the rocker in the nursery and watched her grandchildren play with a couple of ring stacking toys; watched as the boys tried to figure out how to fit all of the rings back onto the toys.

Pauline had only recently been told about Jo's miscarriage; mainly so that she wouldn't go pushing kids from Jo and Luke too soon. Pauline was certain that had all of this not have happened that it wouldn't have been long before her boys would have had some new playmates on the way. Now Pauline mourned for not only the woman who would no longer be a Duke but for the children who would never be.

Pensive thoughts amongst such happy giggles. Somehow, Pauline knew that no one else would be able to find anything to giggle about for a long time.

~01~

"I don't get it. I still can't get through to the house. But I was certain that Luke would have been here waiting on us," Jo said as she once again hung up the phone in the lounge area at the Capital City Airport.

"Waiting on you, you mean. Try calling Kira's house, maybe everyone is over there," Stephanie said, trying to figure out a logical reason that no one had been here to meet their flight.

When Jo picked up the phone this time, she asked for the Hazzard County operator then asked her to patch her through to Jebb and Kira's house instead. Listening to it ring, Jo was about to give up when she heard an answer on the other line.

_"Duke Farm. Pauline Duke speaking."_

"Pauline, I was checking to make sure that someone was coming over to the airport to get me and Steph."

_"Jo! Jo, is that really you, sugar?"_

"Of course it's me. Who did you expect?" Jo asked as she heard the excitement from the other end of the line. She knew that Kira said that the matriarch of the family liked her, but right now she sounded positively thrilled to hear her.

_"But the plane. The news said that the plane was... What was your flight number out of New York?"_

"Oh, I took an earlier flight. I was afraid that I'd end up grounded if I waited until noon to leave out. I'm guessing that you thought that I didn't get in the air at all. Did the flight get canceled?"

_"Not even a Duke yet but the Duke Luck is lookin' out for you. Sugar, that plane crashed shortly after take-off."_

"What?!"

_"We all thought that you were on it. There were no survivors, darlin'."_

"Luke! Where is he? I've got to talk to him!"

_"You don't worry about Luke. Needless to say he'll never be as happy to see you as he'll be when you get out here. You just stay put and someone will be out to fetch ya directly."_

"Okay. Steph and I will stay in the lounge until someone gets here. It's too cold to wait outside."

_"You stay warm and I'll get on the CB right now to spread the good news. Bye, sugar."_

"Bye." Jo hung up the phone still in total shock at just how close she'd come to death. When she told Stephanie what had happened to the plane that they were supposed to be on, she went totally ashen as well. "I have to call my father. He must think that I was on that plane, too."

"I'd better make some calls of my own. I bet my folks are going out of their minds." With that, both women got back on the pay phones and made their calls.

Jo was able to catch her father at his home since he'd missed his own flight out while on the phone trying to learn her whereabouts. He'll catch the first flight out in the morning, but he was so glad that Jo had decided to head to Georgia early. He stayed on the phone with her until a line formed behind her to use the phone.

Reluctantly, Jo got off of the phone with her father, though not before wishing him luck on his own flight in the morning.

_~01~_

_"This here is Pauline Duke callin' out to the rest of the Duke family. I have some great news. Jo was not on the plane that went down. I repeat, not on the plane that went down. She took an earlier flight and is alive and well and waitin' at the Capital City Airport for someone to come pick her up. Any volunteers?"_

Coy glanced over at Vance before they both let out excited yells. Reaching for the mic, Vance responded to his aunt. "This here's Vance. That is great news. Coy and I are on the eastern end of the county and not far from the airport. We'll swing by and get the bride to take her home. We're gone."

The CB chatter was then full of the rest of the Duke family acknowledging the news though certain Dukes were still oddly silent. There still was no word from Luke nor from Jebb and Kira who last stated that they were heading up an old hiking trail where Luke had parked the General. Neither did Bo reply to the word on Jo. The last that had been heard from him was that he was heading in the others' direction when they told the rest of the family where they were.

Everyone else had begun to make their way back to the farms knowing that by the time that they made it to their location, there'd be nothing left to do anyway. Boy the whole family would like to see Luke's face when he found out that Jo wasn't dead after all.

Vance bet that it would be priceless.

~01~

Bo took Luke over to Jebb's car since it'd be easier to get Luke into the car without the doors welded shut. Kira went to the trunk to get the emergency blanket out and wrapped it around Luke while Jebb did the same grabbing the blanket out of the General's trunk after Bo had removed his wet jeans and shirt.

"Head on out to the hospital. We'll send Cooter after the General." Bo nodded to Jebb as he got behind the wheel with Luke slumped in the middle of the front seat as Kira slid into the car and pulled her cousin in close trying to warm him up. Jebb climbed into the truck and pulled it in behind the car as they raced toward the hospital. Right after they took off down the road, Jebb got on the CB to let everyone know that they'd found Luke and was taking him to get checked out since he was pretty much a solid block of ice.

"_Is my boy awake at all?"_ Jesse's voice came over the CB filled with worry upon hearing Jebb's description.

"I'm afraid not, Uncle Jesse," Kira replied from her end. At the rate that Bo was driving, she knew that it wouldn't be long before they reached the hospital. Not a moment too soon in Kira's opinion.

_"Well, I was hopin' that he'd get to hear the good news."_ Bo and Kira exchanged glances. What could possibly be good about today? _"Pauline just got a call while ya'll were up on the mountain. Jo switched flights. Looks like we're gonna have ourselves a weddin' after all. That is unless Luke went and gave himself pneumonia."_

_"Uncle Jesse, the moment Luke wakes up and hears that Jo's okay, I doubt the plague would keep him from marryin' Jo,"_ Jebb responded.

_"I'll have Coy and Vance take that girl right over to the hospital. We'll be out directly, too."_

_"Understood, Uncle Jesse. We're gone,"_ Jebb signed off for all of them.

~01~

When Jo got to the hospital, she immediately ran over to where the rest of the family was sitting. In just a few short hours, the family went from being ecstatic about the upcoming wedding, to grieving for the believed deceased bride, to overjoyed at her miraculous survival, to now being worried for the health and welfare of the groom. This family had certainly been on a violent roller coaster ride today. And it wasn't over yet. Now they all prayed that Luke had been found in time to prevent serious illness or injury.

Finally, both Doc Applebys came out and told the family that Luke was being treated for hypothermia and frostbite. As bad as he looked when he was brought in, both doctors felt certain that he'd be fine once his core body temperature was brought back up. The elder doctor took Jo on back to see Luke knowing that she'd be the first thing that he would want to see once he woke up. And regulations or not, he'd make arrangements for any of the Duke family that chose to stay the night to watch over Luke. He knew from his long years of caring for the family that if any of them were in the hospital the rest were bound to stay as well.

Meanwhile with the Dukes, Kim was explaining the process of rewarming Luke from the inside out with warmed fluids in his IV and warmed air in his oxygen mask. If everything worked the way that she thought, Luke would have no problem with being up and on his feet in time for the wedding.

"Then right back to bed afterwards," Bo mumbled before he could stop himself. Jesse admonished him for being so crude with ladies present.

Bo noticed that like many of the times since his truce had been called with the young doctor; he'd caught her blushing slightly before she could turn away. Bo had also seen that Kim no longer seemed half as comfortable around him as she had when they had constantly bickered with one another. And Bo being Bo, couldn't help but enjoy seeing Kim a bit flustered around him from time to time.

When the family was told that they could peek in on Luke they all took their turns checking in on him before most of them returned to the farms. All glad of the good prognosis that the family had been given by the doctors.

~01~

When Luke started to wake up, the first thing that he noticed was the mask that was on his face. He went to take it off but felt a hand on his when he tried to move it. Letting his eyes flutter open in the darkened room, he scanned the room and saw that he was in the hospital.

God, how he hated hospitals.

He let his gaze fall to his left where he just knew that his eyes were playing tricks on him. Because as much as he hated to admit it, his Angel couldn't possibly be sitting beside his bed.

Jo felt Luke stir and sat up where she'd rested her head on her arms on Luke's bed and smiled as she saw him trying to take in the room and her. She knew that he was surprised to see her considering the day's events and all.

"It's about time you woke up. I wasn't looking forward to going on my honeymoon alone. Or was this just your way of getting rested up before we leave?" Jo moved Luke's dark locks away from his face as his sapphire blue eyes met her silver ones.

Luke seemed a bit unsure if he was hallucinating or not so Jo figured that she'd better explain just how she could be here. She told him how she had been afraid that the flight would be grounded with the rate that the snow was coming down so she and Stephanie had taken an earlier flight out of New York. She'd told of how she couldn't get anyone to the phone when she'd called from Atlanta and how she'd had no idea what had happened in New York or what everyone had thought had happened to her until she'd landed in Capital City. She'd been so taken aback by what had happened; the close call that she'd had without even realizing it.

Luke was just happy that Jo was alive. He hadn't thought that he'd ever get to hold her again. Which is exactly what he did all night long. He'd pulled Jo in next to him on the bed and reveled in her warmth as she snuggled close to him in the small bed. He didn't want to let her out of his sight again none too soon. That was how the nurses had found the couple when they came in to check on their patient after the two had fallen asleep and that is how they left them until morning.


	36. Long Since Gone

**Chapter 36: Long Since Gone**

The next morning, the family all worked over-time to finish the decorating for the wedding. Though no one complained about the extra work; everyone was just glad that they were able to do it. The women were even able to rope in most of the men into helping them to see to it that everything was ready for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner tonight. The last minute touches to the Boar's Nest would wait until tomorrow; one good thing about planning an evening wedding.

Daisy had never been to a candlelight wedding but the idea seemed very romantic to her. It also meant that they would have more time to get ready tomorrow. Now that the crisis was over from the misunderstanding over the flight schedule, the whole town seemed to be pitching in where they could for the Duke family affair.

When Thomas Hart's plane flew in, Jesse was at the airport to greet him and drive him out to the farm while Bo was at the hospital ready to bring Luke and Jo home.

"We'll be a bit more packed in than we were back at Christmas. Everyone is busy moving around. The men will stay here at the farm while the women will all be out at Jebb and Kira's place tonight so that everyone can get ready tomorrow for the wedding without there being any hitches in the plan. I'll let you choose where you'll want to bed down. Jebb and his father will have Daisy's room since they'll have the twins. I told that boy to let Kira keep them over at the other house so they can sleep in their own crib but he insisted that if the Duke Men were all over here then they should be too."

"Well you can't blame him for wanting to keep his boys away from all the mess that's bound to take place over there with all of them women under one roof. It's a matter of survival. A father looks after his kids." Thomas chuckled as he thought about the young man that he'd met on his last full day out after Christmas. He's spent the holidays with his folks but had returned before the general had headed back out to D.C.

Mainly he remembered how the whole family was so enamored with the small boys. Which he found totally understandable once his daughter told him all that she knew about the chaos surrounding their births. Jo had been told by Luke through his letters much of the events leading up to their arrivals so she knew quite a bit about what had happened then. About how the family had been scared for not only the lives of the babies, but the mother as well.

"I suppose so. No matter how big they get or think they are," Jesse said nodding. "Speakin' of watchin' after youngens, I'd better see what's keepin' them boys of mine. Oh, before I forget, I was plannin' on givin' you the use of my truck. That way y'ain't got to be stuck on the farm if ya don't want to be. The keys are in the ignition if you want to take it out."

"Thank you," Thomas said as he went on in to find a place to put his bag and garment bag that had his suit in it. From there the day was a non-stop circus as the preparations for the wedding were smoothed out.

Once Luke was released from the hospital, Jo decided to check in with Daisy and Stephanie over at the church before heading out to the farm. After thinking that he'd lost Jo for good and knowing that after the rehearsal dinner tonight he wouldn't see her again until the wedding, Luke decided that Jo wasn't going anywhere without him just yet.

Since Bo was driving, that meant that he, too, would have to stop by the church while Jo checked in with the _Decorating Committee._ Despite being set back by nearly a whole day, the decorating was coming along right on schedule.

Since there would be a big dinner that night the family all decided to do their own thing for lunch. Thomas met Luke and Jo in town for a small lunch at the diner since Jo didn't want to run back and forth from town and the farm just yet. There were still a few things that she wanted to see to before leaving town.

Luke had already sent Bo on back with the other men since there was no point in both of them being bored out of their minds with the wedding preparations. After all, where Luke was concerned, everyone could just wear their jeans and T-shirts as far as he cared.

When lunch was finished, Jo and Luke headed back towards the church for the last time before the rehearsal while Thomas headed back to Jesse's truck to go back to the farm. Crossing the street, Thomas looked up and saw an eerily familiar face. It had been nearly thirty years since he'd seen Jo's mother but he'd never forget her face, even with the years of age that now shown on it.

Forgetting about the truck, Thomas headed towards Tracy; fighting back the angry words that he'd love to holler out at her for daring to show her face as he moved toward her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Same thing as you, I imagine. I came to town so I could see my daughter get married. I thought that I ought to be there, being the mother of the bride and all." Tracy pulled out a compact to check her make-up as she spoke. She hadn't planned on running into her ex-husband quite so quick. If she'd known that he'd be here she would have made herself more presentable first.

"What makes you think that you'd be welcomed? She hasn't seen or heard from you in thirty years. You are as good as dead to her."

"Tom, don't be so dramatic. I saw her in Atlanta, she was perfectly sweet," Tracy said while rolling her eyes.

"I'm sure that you didn't tell her who you were, either."

"I told her my name. It didn't seem to ring a bell for her though. What's wrong, Tom? Afraid that she won't hold as big of a grudge as you?"

"How did you even know that Jo was getting married?" Thomas said with his arms crossed.

"Oh, I still have friends that keep me in the loop from time to time. Now, I plan to go see my daughter."

"I don't think that's a good idea. Jo has enough on her plate right now without having to deal with you and your need to be in the spotlight. This is her time. Leave her be."

"Oh nonsense. A mother has the right to inspect her future son-in-law doesn't she?"

"A mother, yes. But you gave up the right to call yourself a mother when you walked out on us. Especially out on Jo."

"Well, what else was I supposed to do? You wouldn't leave the Corps, even after I agreed to have Jo. If you wouldn't give up the Corps, why should I have to stick around?"

"Is that the only reason that you said that you wanted a family? You knew that I planned to stay in the Marines when we got married."

"Lots of men say one thing and then change their minds later on. How was I supposed to know that you really did want to stay a Jarhead?" Tracy spat the last word out harshly.

Thomas took in a deep breath. He'd prefer not to get into this with his ex-wife right here on the street. "I'm not going to have this same old argument with you. But you could have at least stayed in touch with Jo. It was hard for her to not have anyone other than my mother when I was on a tour of duty. Then once she died... Jo could have used a mother around, Tracy. But you weren't there."

"Well, maybe you should have done something about that. Besides, I'm here now. I thought I saw Jo with you a few moments ago. I'm assuming that the man with her is her soon-to-be?"

"Stay away from her, Tracy!" Thomas's eyes flashed.

"Or what? Besides, shouldn't it be up to her on whether or not she wants me to leave?"

"Leave her be. She deserves tomorrow to be perfect, which it won't be if you go trying to act as if the last thirty years hadn't even happened. She has everything the way she wants them-"

"Good. That means that I won't need to change anything. Now, unless you intend for both of us to stand out here in the cold until Jo comes out of the church, I would appreciate it if you'd move."

"Not until you promise to behave."

"Oh, pooh! I am just here to see my own daughter before she gets married. I have to make sure that she knows just what she's getting into. At least she has better sense than I had. At least she isn't marrying a Marine."

"Actually, Luke is a former Marine. He served in Vietnam. Now he's a farmer," Thomas said just a bit defensive. What was so bad with being a Marine? "And if you'd ever bothered to come around, you would know that Jo just got out of the Marines herself just a little under a year ago."

"Oh, Lord. Well I guess it is true, daddy's girls go looking for a man just like their father."

"Then I guess that I should be glad that we didn't have a son."

Tracy narrowed her eyes at the indirect insult. Without saying another word, she walked past her ex-husband and headed toward the church in search of her daughter. Thomas cursed under his breath. She would want to do this now! He'd hoped several times that Tracy would take an interest in their daughter over the years. Jo had the right to know her mother, but this wasn't the time for Tracy to be making her grand entrance.

When Tracy marched up the stairs of the white church, Thomas braced himself; for what he wasn't sure of. Fortunately, when he stepped across the threshold, he didn't see either Jo or Luke in the sanctuary. Looking around, Thomas saw that everyone in the family was still out for lunch and hadn't gotten back to the church to finish decorating.

Not really caring exactly where Jo was at the moment, he was just glad that she wasn't in the church right now. At least this bought some time before the shit hit the fan.

~01~

Luke and Jo had walked over to the courthouse to pick up the Marriage License. With Jo having been in New York, this was the first chance that they'd had to run in and get it. When the license was issued one could almost hear the collective sigh of dozens of worried daddies all over Hazzard. Their daughters were safe from yet one more Duke Boy; though if one listened carefully, an outsider might also hear the cries of the disappointed single women who had held out the hope of being the one woman who could tame the eldest Duke Boy. Afterwards, the couple decided to head off for some time alone before the wedding rehearsal knowing that once that was over they'd not see one another again until the wedding. No one in the family would hold it against them if they decided to bail on the last bit of the decorating since it was already mostly done.

Luke drove out to the cabin where he and Jo snuggled up on the couch together enjoying this brief reprieve from the rest of the family and friends who had come in from all around for the wedding. When Luke's hands wandered and found their way under Jo's sweater to unfasten her bra, she reluctantly looked toward the clock.

"Lukas, people are going to be looking for us soon. We don't have that much time before we have to get back to the church."

"We have plenty of time," Luke murmured against the side of Jo's neck as he started placing kisses along it.

"You're selling yourself short, Lukas. There isn't any way that we'll get back in time if we get started." Despite her words though, Jo shifted and leaned back on the couch pulling Luke with her.

"So what can they do? It's not like the others can get started without us."

Jo giggled at Luke's logic, though in a matter of seconds all thoughts of any others were expelled from both of their minds.

~01~

It had been hours since anyone had seen either Jo or Luke and it wasn't hard for Jesse to figure out where those two had gone. In a way, Jesse couldn't blame them but they only had one more day before it would all be right and proper. You'd think that they could survive that long without going into a total meltdown.

Glancing down at his pocket watch, Jesse saw that the couple was already nearly fifteen minutes late for the rehearsal. He'll give them another fifteen minutes before he'll go after them himself.

Meanwhile, Thomas was more worried about whether or not Tracy would show up again tonight than about his daughter stealing a few minutes alone with the man who in just twenty four hours would be her husband. This was supposed to be Jo's time to shine. He'll be damned if Tracy will steal the spotlight.

Tracy had never even bothered to be there for Jo on any of her other special days throughout her life. Whether it was her first day of school, her first sleepover, her first broken heart, her prom or even when she'd decided to join the Marines. A day that had made him very proud of her. Through each of those events though, the noticeable absence of Jo's mother was always present.

It would have been better if it had been because Tracy had died in some accident or something. Instead, Jo grew up knowing that her mother just didn't care for her enough to stay a part of her life. Why should today be any different? No. She isn't here for Jo. She is here for Tracy.

When Luke and Jo showed up with still no Tracy, Thomas relaxed slightly though he knew that it was only a matter of time before she showed back up. Fortunately, the rehearsal went off without a hitch and the whole family went over to Jebb's for the rehearsal dinner where the women had put together a dinner that could rival the grandest Thanksgiving dinner that the Duke Clan had ever had. All of the spare cots in the house had been put up and nearly the entire lower level had fold-up chairs and tables to accommodate the massive group for dinner.

Jesse gave a speech on how proud he was of Luke for settling down (finally) and Bo teased in his usual manner, though it was toned down a bit since both Jo and her father were present. Once the dinner was cleared away the men all took down the tables and chairs and set the cots back up for the night. All too soon, it was time for the men (Luke included) to head over to the other farm house. Leaving the women behind to get the dishes up and make sure that any last minute touches were taken care of.

Once all of the men were gone, Tracy made her way to the door. She knew that the only way that she'd get to speak with Jo was if Thomas wasn't around. She'd watched as the caravan of vehicles had driven out of town after the rehearsal and it wasn't hard to follow them out to the back roads where the house was for the dinner.

Walking up the walnut finished stairs to the porch, Tracy knocked on the door. When the knock was finally answered, Tracy was met with a woman roughly her age with a touch of gray mixing into her chestnut hair. The woman seemed to evaluate Tracy with a mere glance. Something that Tracy wasn't comfortable with.

"May I help you?" Pauline asked the unexpected visitor at such a late hour.

"I was hoping to speak with Jo Hart. She's here, isn't she?"

Pauline raised an eyebrow at the request. Jo hadn't mentioned that she was expecting anyone. The friends that she'd invited to the wedding were at the hotel in Hazzard. Stepping aside, Pauline allowed the stranger into the house out of the cold.

"Emma, run up and get Jo. Tell her that she has a visitor."

Tracy watched as the blonde tween ran up the stairs. Oddly enough, Tracy thought that the girl looked much like she imagined that Jo had looked like at her age. Tracy declined the offer to sit as she waited for her daughter to come down stairs.

When she finally reached the main level of the house and saw just who the woman was that was here to visit her, she was more than a little confused. It was the woman from the airport in Atlanta.

"Hello. I wasn't expecting you. Can I help you with something?" Jo asked as Stephanie, Daisy, and Kira all came downstairs behind her.

"I was hoping to get a chance to speak with you again," then adding after seeing the crowd that was gathering in the livingroom, "Alone."

"Oh, well, we're all just a bit crowded here. I, uh ..."

"You can go to my office if you want," Kira spoke up from behind Jo. She looked back to the redhead and nodded her thanks.

They didn't know this woman but at least in the office, as opposed to the only other place that could offer some privacy being in the barn, Jo and the woman wouldn't be too far away in case she needed help. Kira couldn't help but be suspicious and untrusting of strangers. Some things you just don't unlearn.

Kira went and unlocked the office and turned back to the kitchen which oddly enough, was now full of women who had suddenly decided that they wanted a snack or a drink before going to bed. Exchanging a look with Daisy, Kira snickered slightly as she accepted a glass of milk from her cousin. Well, looks like no one would be heading off to bed just yet.

~01~

Inside the office, Jo felt a bit uncomfortable standing in front of the stranger whom she'd only spoken with briefly the day before. Not sure why she was here, Jo moved around the office; the one room in the house that she hadn't seen yet.

"So...well...Have you enjoyed your time in Georgia so far? Have you seen your daughter?" Jo asked, taking the initiative since the stranger seemed to go mute now that they were alone.

"Well, I've been spending the day trying to track her down. I missed her when I thought I'd found her earlier today."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But why are you here?" Jo'd had a long day and she was going to have another long one tomorrow. She definitely wanted to head up to bed as soon as possible.

"Alright, right to the point. Joanna, what do you remember about your mother?"

Jo was taken aback by the question. Why would she... Taking a harder look at the woman in front of her, Jo's eyes widened. It couldn't be. "What are you doing here?"


	37. Too Little Too Late

**Chapter 37: Too Little Too Late**

"Why now?" Of all of the times that Jo had imagined coming face to face with her mother, she'd never once thought that it would be the night before her wedding.

"I came for your wedding. Every woman dreams of watching her daughter walk down the aisle. So, here I am."

Jo squinted her eyes at the answer. "After thirty years you just decided to show up now for my wedding." Jo started to subconsciously flexing her fists as she saw her mother give her, what could only be, a false smile. "And you expect me to do what, exactly? Be happy about it?"

"Well, that would be a start. You said yourself that not every mother would ride one of those small commuter planes to see their children."

"Is that what you consider yourself? A mother?" Jo stepped back as she took in the sight of her _mother _trying to walk toward her.

"Of course. No matter what else has happened, I am still your mother. Why shouldn't I see myself as your mother? I gave birth to you after all. Now I know that you already have the wedding all planned out, so I won't go messing anything up for you. And since I didn't know any of your colors, I wasn't sure what color of a dress to buy to wear as the mother-of-the-bride. So I bought a red dress since it will be Valentine's Day. If-" Tracy was cut off before she could finish the question.

"You plan to show up at my wedding and claim to be the mother-of-the-bride? My mother. Let me ask you something; how old was I when I rode my first two wheeler? Or who was my best friend in high school? Who was my first boyfriend? What was my worst subject in school? How about telling me what my favorite flavor of ice cream is? I tell you what; I'll even give you a simple one. How old was I when I had my appendix removed?"

Tracy's mouth dropped. This is not the reaction that she'd expected when she came to speak with her daughter. "I-"

"If you were a mother, you'd have no trouble answering any of those questions. You can't even answer one, can you?"

"That's not my fault! If your father could have just been reasonable! I tried to get him to leave the Corps. If he'd had done that, I wouldn't have gone anywhere."

"What about me? I wasn't in the Corps. Was I not enough to stick around for?"

"It wasn't that." Tracy stared at her daughter with her mouth in a stubborn set.

"Then what was it? Why didn't you ever come back?" Jo asked the question that she'd asked hundreds of times over the years.

"I'm not the only one who wasn't there during some of those times that you are holding against me, you know. Your father wasn't even in the States when you were born. Or there for your first steps. Are you angry at him for that?"

"That is not the same thing and you know it. He was on tour overseas. He couldn't just stop what he was doing. You walked away!"

"I had to get away!" Tracy shouted back. "I couldn't take that way of life anymore. I couldn't live with having a husband that I was lucky to see a few weeks out of the year while being stuck at home with-" Tracy stopped short realizing what she was saying and in front of who.

"Stuck at home with me, you mean?" Jo said through gritted teeth. "Get out. I don't want to talk to you anymore."

Jo turned and grabbed the door knob and left the office and made her way past all of the women who had gathered in the kitchen.

Daisy saw how upset that Jo looked and moved to follow her but Kira put a hand on her to stop her as she watched Stephanie head up the stairs behind the distraught woman. As much as Daisy wanted to run to Jo's side she was much closer to Stephanie then either of them and, right now, three was a crowd.

"I think you should leave my home now, Miss. It's late," Kira said as she stood up and turned back to the stranger. "I suggest that you give Jo some space. I don't know who you are but this is not the time to be upsettin' her."

"Upsetting her? I'm her mother! How could I upset her?"

"Mother?" Both Pauline and Daisy asked at the same time.

Meanwhile, Kira studied the woman who was making this wild claim carefully. If this was Jo's mother then why didn't Jo say that she was coming to the wedding? Plus, she didn't seem to recognize her when she came to the door earlier.

"Alright. Leave a number where you can be reached and if Jo wants to talk to you, she'll call you. Until then, I'd recommend that you leave her alone," Kira said as she crossed her arms.

"Leave her alone. You sound just like her father. What? Did you two get your _Strategy_ laid out for the off chance that I'd show up here?"

"Comparin' me to the general? High praise indeed, but you still need to leave my home. Now!"

Tracy glanced from woman to woman before walking past them. She'd have to try to talk to Jo again in the morning.

Kira and Daisy left Stephanie to talk to Jo so that meant they would need to find some extra blankets and bed down elsewhere instead of heading up to the room that they were sharing with the other two women. Knowing that after the sudden visit from the woman who had given birth to her after all of this time, Jo would need a few moments without feeling like the whole family was watching her. There would be enough staring tomorrow. She didn't need it tonight, too.

Meanwhile, Pauline called over to the main farm house. Jesse answered the phone and listened as Pauline told him of Jo's late night visitor. After getting off of the phone, Jesse quietly made his way toward Thomas and motioned for him to follow him out to the porch. Both grabbing their coats, they slipped out of the house to speak privately.

"Thomas, that was Pauline over at the other house. She says that they got a late night visitor tonight after we all left."

"Oh no," Thomas groaned. "She didn't!"

"So you knew?"

"I saw that Jo's mother came to town this morning." Thomas nodded. "I told her not to go upsetting Jo right here before the wedding. Obviously she didn't listen. How is she taking it?"

"Well, from what I gather, I think that you should go on over there," Jesse said.

Thomas nodded and headed over to the truck and got in so he could drive over to the other farm house. When Jesse went back inside, he ran into Luke who was heading out to see who was leaving out so late.

"Where's the general goin' off to at this hour?" Luke asked.

"He's goin' back to see Jo. She needs to talk to him for a bit," Jesse replied not wanting to lie to his oldest but also didn't want to worry him so close to his wedding day. "Come on, let's head on to bed. You have a big day tomorrow. And since the weddin' ain't until the evenin', I have a lot of work to keep ya busy in the mornin' so that you and Jo don't go sneakin' off again. If you are late tomorrow evenin' for the ceremony like you were for the rehearsal, I'll tan your hide to the point where you won't get to enjoy your honeymoon."

Luke eyed his uncle but followed him into the house. Surely if there was anything wrong, his Uncle Jesse would tell him about it. He may go on up to bed but Luke wasn't going to get any sleep until he heard the truck pull back up.

~01~

When Thomas got over to the other house, Jo went out and got into the truck and the two headed off away from the farm. Uncertain as to just how Jo felt about her mother's sudden appearance, Thomas was unsure of what to say to his daughter. He thought that it would be best not to head to Hazzard; certain that the bride would sure to be a magnet for well-wishers for the wedding tomorrow. That is if anything in Hazzard was still open at this hour in the first place. Thomas instead headed for a diner that he'd been taken to back at Christmas in Capital City that he recalled was opened twenty-four hours a day.

Glancing over at his daughter, Thomas felt out of his element. He'd never really been good with dealing with emotions. His mother had handled that end of raising Jo for him when she was alive. She'd been really good with Joanna but when she'd died, he just didn't know how to take over that role.

Instead he'd remained in the role that he'd been most comfortable with. When he became a Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier General, and then a Major General in the Marines, he remained one when he went home as well. He was the Military leader and Jo had been his _good little soldier _while growing up. He knew that was probably unfair but he didn't really know what else to do.

The day that Jo had decided to join the Marines was the proudest day in his life. Now his _second in command_ was being thrown for a loop and he didn't know what to do to help her. Cautiously, Thomas figured that he might as well as broach the subject that both of them were thinking about.

"Are you alright? With your mother, I mean."

"Not really," Jo muttered. "She went straight into how it wasn't her fault that she'd missed the last thirty years. Wanted to pretend that none of it had really mattered," Jo said as she stared out of the window of the truck.

Thomas gripped the wheel tighter, there were so many things that he'd like to say about Tracy right now. The only thing that stopped him were the words that rang in his head that his mother had told him when she first informed him that Tracy had left Jo on her door step in the middle of the night while he was stationed overseas so long ago.

_**'Don't ever say anything negative about her mother in front of her. She'll only grow to resent you for it. She'll figure things out for herself as she gets older. Until then, hold your tongue around her where Tracy is concerned.'**_

"I know that this isn't how you've pictured seeing your mother again after all of this time. I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," Jo mumble. "She just came back to make it look good for her anyway. It didn't take long to realize that I'm probably lucky that she didn't stay around when I was little. She acted like I should have thrown myself at her feet for gracing me with her presence for my wedding."

Thomas nodded, he saw that himself. Like she felt entitled for everyone to drop what they were doing just so that she could feel special. She'd always had been given what she wanted when she grew up, being the only child as well. Thomas hadn't seen just how far that self-entitlement went until he was married to Tracy. Then once he'd thought that she'd accepted the fact that he didn't plan to leave the Marines, she'd decided that she did want a family with him after all. Though that only caused the arguments over his service to reignite

Then she had been mad that he wasn't there to help out with Jo while she was a baby. Angry that while Thomas was off elsewhere in the world, she was trapped and home with a small child. He even remembered Tracy asking for enough money to get a nanny for Jo.

He couldn't afford that. Tracy already didn't work; instead she spent her days dabbling with her paints. Then she didn't even want to take care of their daughter. When he couldn't give her the life that she'd wanted she dropped Jo off at his mother's house one night and had never so much as called or sent a letter to ask about her again.

Not until now at least.

~01~

Luke looked over at the clock and saw that it was after two a.m. and the general still wasn't back from the other farm yet. Which meant that Jo was still awake too for some reason. He'd certainly like to know what was going on but there was just no way that he could sneak past so many family members to get outside to head over to the other farm to find out what was going on. Instead he was stuck lying in bed listening to the snores of his brother and cousins. Luke flipped his pillow over and hit it a few times to fluff it a bit.

"What are you still doin' up, Cuz?" Vance's tired voice came softly from across the room.

"The general went over to talk to Jo right after we got back. He still hasn't come back yet."

"You ain't worried that she' havin' second thoughts are you?"

"Heck, no. But I'd sure like to know what's goin' on. It's already pretty late," Luke whispered annoyed at being left out of the loop.

"You'd better try to get some sleep, Cuz. Won't be long before it'll be time to get up."

"I ain't sleepin' until he gets back," Luke said despite the fact that he was tired and could feel his body crying out for rest.

"Suit yourself," Vance said as he turned back over to go back to sleep.

~01~

Thomas and Jo ended up talking over a cup of coffee at the diner. When he heard Jo tell him of Tracy's comment of all the things in Jo's life that he himself had missed, he was a little worried about whether or not his daughter held those things against him, too.

"I understand that it wasn't the same thing, Dad. I might not have when I was younger but I do now. Mom wanted you to be something that you weren't. When she didn't get her way, she bailed. You didn't." Jo did something that she hadn't done in a long time; she leaned in for a hug from her father. "Things might have been rough, but you did your best. I know that. Not that I liked being moved around a lot while I was growing up, mind you." Jo let out a small laugh as she said that last part then released her father. "But that was the only way that we could be together, so that you could be involved in my life. Although when I brought home my first few boyfriends, I may have wished that you'd had been a little less involved."

"What? What did I do?" Thomas acted as if he didn't know already.

"Well, not every girl has their prom date to go through an interrogation on the night's plans and searched before being allowed to go out for the evening." Both father and daughter laughed at the memory of her senior prom. "I'm surprised that you didn't have us followed by the M.P.'s!"

"You might be surprised at how many fathers have at least thought about doing it though. I wasn't going to let just any boy go out with you."

"You wouldn't have had anything to do with that rumor that went around in high school that any guy that tried anything with me would get drafted, now would you?"

"You know that I couldn't have carried out a threat like that." Thomas feigned innocence.

"Like that would have had anything to do with whether or not the rumor spread." Jo laughed as she reached for her coffee for another sip.

"I assumed that it worked? I had to do something for when I wasn't around, didn't I?"

"Well I am not saying whether or not it worked." Jo grinned knowing that it would cause her father to wonder if it had after all.

"Is that so?" Seeing that Jo was feeling a bit better than when he'd first picked her up, Thomas looked down at his watched and saw what time it was. "We'd better head back. You need your beauty sleep. You are supposed to be getting married today."

"Today?"

"That's right. Look at what time it is. Come on. We'd better go."

"Dad, can I ask you something?"

"Sure can. What is it?"

"You like Luke, don't you?"

Thomas thought about the question for a second before answering, "He doesn't have to know that. It's good for a man to be a little scared of his father-in-law."

Jo smiled at the response. That really did make her feel a little better about everything. Her father didn't like many people. But the Dukes were now among the few that he did. Knowing that, she figured that the rest didn't really matter for tonight. Or was it this morning?

~01~

Once Luke heard the truck pull back up into the yard, he got up and quietly made his way out of his room and caught the general on his way in through the kitchen door.

"Is something wrong with Jo?" Luke asked quietly surprising the older man as he walked in. Thomas wasn't expecting anyone to be awake yet.

"Yes and no. She just had a late night visitor last night. What are you doing awake?"

"I was waiting up for you to find out what was happening with Jo. What kind of a visitor?"

Thomas had to hide his amusement at the fact that Luke had waited for him to come back in his worry for Jo instead of going on to bed himself. Despite it now being his wedding day and he would want to be well rested for it.

"Her mother showed up out of nowhere. Expected Jo to be happy about it." Thomas heard Luke swear under his breath. "She's fine though. In fact, she's probably already asleep by now. Something that you should be doing yourself." Thomas put an arm across Luke's shoulders and guided him back toward the stairs. "Jo will be calling when she's awake. You can talk to her then and ask her yourself how she's doing. Until then, you both need some sleep."

The way Thomas spoke, he made the suggestion sound much more like an order that Luke would have been given as a recruit. Reluctantly, Luke headed on up. If Jo was asleep, he'd not get to talk to her anytime soon. At least he'll get to speak with her in a few hours. Then see her this evening where she'd become his wife.

From there, he'll be the one that she'll call out to when she needs someone to talk to in the middle of the night. And no one had better do anything to upset her again. He'd dare them to try. Knowing that there was nothing else that he could do right now, Luke headed on up, fully expecting his Uncle Jesse to be true to his word and keep him busy in the morning before allowing him to get ready for the wedding.


	38. Last Minute Choice

**Chapter 38: Last Minute Choice**

From the moment that everyone woke up, chaos ran rampant from one end of the Duke farm to the other. The last minute touches were added to both the church and the Boar's Nest for the reception. Luke did get to speak with Jo over the phone once they'd both woke up from their late nights and was assured that she was fine considering the shock she'd had having her mother drop in like she had.

Afterwards, Jesse was true to his word about keeping Luke busy during the day. He did let Luke sleep in given the fact that, for one, he knew that he'd not slept much overnight. And another being that this was his last morning really being home. As much as Jesse had looked forward to this day for so long it was a little sad that it had finally come. Though looking around and seeing his remaining two charges, his nest was still far from empty. At the rate those two were going it wouldn't be any time soon neither.

Meanwhile, Daisy had brought over the boxes that had the suits for the guys in them for the wedding. She had a hard time keeping a straight face when she did so. The other women were getting the last bit of the preparations done. Daisy still needed to get ready herself but she could wait until after the others were done.

Right now, it was time to strong arm her cousins into getting ready for the wedding. Looking around, she saw that Jebb and the twins weren't around, (they must be off with Kira, figures that she'd see to them herself) but all of the other men were here.

"Alright fellas. Here's your suits. Now don't forget, Bo. You're supposed to keep Luke here until we call from the church to let you know that we have Jo there in the basement classrooms getting her ready. From here, you take him straight to prayer room."

"Got it, Daisy. We've been through this enough already. I know it's my job to get Luke to the church. Geez, I'm surprised that you haven't arranged a police escort to take Luke to the church," Bo said as he finished cleaning up at the kitchen sink from the afternoon chores. When he noticed that Daisy hadn't responded to his remark, he looked over his shoulder at his cousin and saw that she actually seemed to be considering the comment as a suggestion. "Forget it, Daisy!"

"I'm sure that Enos wouldn't mind swingin' by-"

"No!" Bo and Luke both said together.

"Alright, alright. Now as I was sayin', here are your suits. Be careful not to mess them up." Daisy handed the boxes to Vance and he put them on the table. "Now I have to go and get ready. I'll see ya'll at the church."

With that, Daisy headed on out the door and hopped into Kira's truck since she was loaning her Jeep to Luke and Jo to use after the ceremony. After all, it would be a bit hard for Jo to get into the General Lee in a long white wedding gown.

~01~

Kira put Jay in the back of the car as Jebb strapped Mikey in then gave her husband a kiss before he headed back off toward the main farm house.

"I wouldn't change them until right before the wedding. Otherwise those suits are bound to get a little messed up."

"Got it. Let em streak until it's time for the wedding." Jebb grinned as his wife gave him an exasperated look. "Relax, I know what I'm supposed to do. Plus my folks are coming in right behind me to the church. You know that my mother would kill me if she thought I was takin' care of the boys wrong. Besides, I think I am capable of handlin' them alone for a few minutes."

"Oh you think so, huh?" Kira smirked. She may have to tell Pauline to stand back and watch her son eat his words.

"Of course! See ya later." With that Jebb headed on off planning to get dressed before heading on out to the church. All of this chaos for the wedding made him glad that he and Kira had just gone over to Chickamahoney to get married. They had even worn their jeans to get married. No stiff collars back then.

When Jebb got over to the old farm house he took the boys in then went back out to the car to get his suit that Kira had sent over with him that he was supposed to wear. From the sounds around the house, everyone else must be doing the same. He quickly changed and figured that since he still had the boys to get ready, he slipped on out of the house without waiting for the others to come on down. Everyone would be meeting up very shortly anyway.

When Jebb finally got the boys halfway dressed (he was waiting until after everyone else was ready before changing their shirts and was currently letting them crawl all over the back pew to keep themselves entertained) the other cousins all came in and Jebb couldn't believe his eyes.

"Well, don't ya'll look pretty in your pink suits? You fellas look like ya all just lost a bet." Jebb said taking in the pink vests and ties that they were wearing as opposed to the pale blue ones that he was wearing.

"Funny, Jebb. Why ain't you wearin' your suit like the rest of us? If we have to do this, so do you," Bo said as he tugged at his pink tie. Only for Luke would he do this. Even then, he can expect a beat down when he gets back from his honeymoon.

"I am wearin' my suit. It's the one Kira gave me at least. Who gave ya'll those anyway?"

This time it was Coy that spoke up, "Daisy came over while you were out to bring over our suits. She had one for you, too. You'd better change before folks go to showin' up."

"Coy, look around, do you see one single thing in this whole church that is pink? Besides the five of you, that is. Jo's colors are silver and blue. No pink. I'm pretty sure that Daisy is havin' a bit of fun with ya'll."

Luke looked over the church and saw that Jebb was right. He hadn't even thought about the fact that he hadn't seen any pink in the decorations yesterday. But now that he looked around, he saw that there really wasn't a single flower, bow, or anything else in the room that was pink. Except the suits that the five of them were wearing.

Luke cursed under his breath. He should have known that something was up by the way she'd looked guilty of something when she'd walked in through the door. He hadn't even picked up on it then but now it was oh so obvious that she was up to no good. Now here he was with his brother and cousins wearing the wrong suits mere moments before folks would start showing up for the wedding.

"Come on, Cuz. We'll get you on into the prayer room. Vance, you and Coy go bang on the door downstairs and get Daisy up here."

Bo started to push Luke towards the pastor's study leaving Judd to help Jebb to wrangle the youngest Dukes who were now crawling under the pews trying to escape their father who figured that it was time to start finishing their own change of outfits.

Meanwhile, Jo's bridal party were all helping Jo get ready when they heard a bang on the door to the stairs.

"What in the world? They know that they can't be coming down here," Daisy said, fully knowing what was going on up stairs and why they were banging on the door.

"I better go and make sure that Jebb isn't having any trouble with the boys," Kira said as she started to stand up.

"I'll go," Daisy volunteered. "You stay here. I'll handle it."

Daisy headed on up the stairs in her long sleek silver evening gown that she was wearing as her bridesmaid dress. This was one bridesmaid's dress that didn't seem frumpy to her. In fact, she felt down right sexy in it. Once she was upstairs, she started to laugh as she saw her cousins in the pale pink vests and ties that stood out against the dark suits that had been chosen for the guys. Daisy had only replaced the pale blue vests and ties with the pink ones knowing that it wouldn't take long to switch them out once she was found out.

"Alright, fellas. What's wrong?"

"Like you don't know! Where are our real suits?" Coy demanded.

"Relax, your stuff is in the choir room. Have a little sense of humor," Daisy said laughing.

"And the humor in all of this would be?" Vance said while giving his cousin a look that made it clear that he didn't see what was so funny about making them wear pink.

"Oh come on. If I have to explain it to you, it won't be as funny."

Daisy giggled as she went off to get the blue vests for the men. Though not before they agreed to let her take a picture. At least they knew what was in their futures if she ever did get married. Yep, pink suits would once again return.

~01~

Pauline had just finished the girls' hair for the wedding and had sent Emma and Emily on downstairs to wait for the wedding to start. Already, the church was filling up with the guests ready for a fine Duke Family Affair. Even Boss Hogg and his wife Lulu had already gotten to the church and had been seated with Vance and Coy serving as ushers. When one new guest came to the door to the sanctuary Pauline headed over to her ready to tear into her personally.

"What are you doing here? This is a private wedding," Pauline asked through gritted teeth as she approached Tracy. Vance had been prepared to escort the stranger to a seat but froze as his aunt voice her displeasure at the appearance of the woman.

"I am her to watch my daughter get married. What's it to you?" Tracy said before looking up at Vance. "The front row on the bride's side will do," Tracy said indicating where Vance should escort her to.

Looking back to his aunt, Vance raised a brow in a silent question. Obviously, Pauline had already met the woman who was claiming to be Jo's mother. And just as clear was the fact that Pauline looked ready to rip her hair out and toss her down the church steps.

"Unless I missed something this mornin', I am almost positive that Jo doesn't want you here today. Now I suggest that you get out of here."

"I'm not leaving until I see my daughter," Tracy said insistently.

"You've waited thirty years; you can wait a little longer," Pauline said as she crossed her arms in a stubborn gesture. This poor excuse of a woman wouldn't get a chance to hurt Jo again if she had a say in the matter.

Across the room Jesse and John saw the show down and both guessed who the bottle blonde was that Pauline was blocking from coming further into the church. They headed over to help and had it confirmed just who the woman was once they got close enough to hear the women.

"And I said you ain't comin' in! Especially after upsettin' Jo last night," Pauline declared just as John put an arm around his wife.

"That's not your call!" Tracy glared at the woman that had the nerve to tell her that she wasn't welcomed at her own daughter's wedding.

"No, that would be Jo's. Pauline, why don't you go on down and ask Jo what she wants us to do with Ms. Hart."

Pauline looked over at her brother-in-law at the suggestion that she should go and upset Jo by letting her know that her mother (she did not deserve that title) had decided to crash the wedding. With a squeeze from her husband's hand on her waist, Pauline gave the woman one final glare before heading on downstairs. Jesse and John took Tracy aside so that Vance and Coy could continue to seat the other guests while they waited for Pauline to return to tell them what Jo wanted them to do with the unexpected wedding guest.

When Pauline came back up she looked ready to spit venom at Tracy but reluctantly told her that Jo would speak with her downstairs. Tracy seemed to puff up a little at the knowledge that her daughter would speak with her. An action that only served to grate on Pauline's nerves even more.

Once downstairs, Tracy was met by the rest of the bridal party. Three women all wearing silver evening gowns and two tweens, who looked identical, wearing pale blue dresses. All of which contrasted sharply with her dress that would have matched a box of heart candy. None of the other females seemed too pleased to see her.

Finally, the redhead who had kicked her out of the house last night spoke up. "She's in that room on the right. We're all stayin' right here. Don't go tryin' nothin'. You only have a few minutes. The weddin' is supposed to start a six."

Tracy eyed the women but just brushed past the redheaded woman along with the two brunettes. Once in the room that must be a Sunday school class, Tracy took in the sight of her daughter in her wedding gown. Jo was wearing a long A-line dress with a full skirt while the bust of the dress was intricately decorated with silver beaded rhinestones swirled into a design that seemed to allude to a winter's snowfall. Jo hadn't put on her veil yet so Tracy was able to see that she had her hair back in a chignon with her sides curled to frame her face.

"Aren't you lovely. Oh and I suppose I should thank you for calling the witch off. Would you believe that she had the nerve to say that I couldn't stay for the wedding?" Tracy said with full confidence that the reason that Jo had asked her to come downstairs was that she wanted to include her in the wedding after all.

"Why should you be allowed to stay?" Jo said while crossing her arms across her chest. "Why should I care about the fact that you want to be here?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Why should I let you intrude on my wedding day?"

"Well, I thought we went over this. Every mother wants to see her daughter get married in a long white dress."

"And I believe that I pointed out that you were never really a mother." Jo watched as Tracy took in her statement.

"So you're saying that I can't stay? You're sending me away?"

Jo took a deep breath, "I'm saying that I'm not going to go into this with you right now. You've taken up too much of my attention in the last twenty-four hours. I don't know what I want to do as far as you are concerned. But just on the off-chance that I do decide to _work things out_ with you later, I don't want to end up regretting you not being here."

"You mean it?" Tracy pulled out her compact from her purse and checked her hair. As the mother of the bride, she surely would be the recipient of more than just a few stares. She'd better make sure she looked absolutely perfect.

"What I mean is that you can stay and watch from the back row. Not from the family pew." Tracy's hand froze in mid-fluff of her hair. "Take it or leave it. You will not, however, be invited to the reception. After the ceremony, you can slip out. Leave your number with one of the family members and I'll call you if I decide that I want to talk to you after I get back from my honeymoon."

"You can't be serious? The back!"

"It's the back or nothing," Jo stated, unsure if she should even be allowing her that much.

"But I'm your mother!"

"Which is the only reason that you'll even be allowed to watch from the back. Which will it be? Should I tell Coy and Vance where you should be seated or will you leave now?"

Tracy couldn't believe that she was given such a cold reception from her daughter. The indignity of being reduced to sitting in the back, barely able to see or hear anything. Not to mention to be told to slip away afterwards. As if Jo was ashamed of her. But if this was the only way... Maybe she should accept the only option that she now had that would allow her to attend her daughter's wedding.

~01~

When Pauline took the boys from Jebb to get in position for the wedding to begin, she practically fumed when she saw Jo's mother being escorted to the back pew before she sat down. At least she wasn't given the honor of sitting up front like she had wanted. She didn't seem happy about her seating placement either, which pleased Pauline to no end.

That trollop had better not start anything between now and the end of the wedding. You don't go messing with a Duke without taking on the rest, and now that includes Jo. Jo would be given the family that Tracy had never had the interest in being a part of when she had need a mother around. As far as Pauline was concerned Jo didn't need that woman around now either.

Pauline straightened her dress as well as the suits on the boys as she carried them to the back, glaring at Tracy as she went. There would be no doubt what Pauline thought about the woman who had abandoned her child thirty years ago and had never looked back. Even now, she still didn't seem to understand how horrid her actions toward her daughter truly were. Pauline intended to keep an eye on her until after she was gone.

Once she was past the offending woman, Pauline prepared the boys for one last time before the wedding started. She'd never had anticipated that she would actually have a part in the wedding but, once she was told about how her grandchildren would be included, she couldn't help but agree.

Now as the clock turned six o'clock sharp the light's in the sanctuary were dimmed as both Coy and Vance began to light the tall white candles on silver candle sticks in the window sills along both sides of the church.

It's time to have a wedding.


	39. A Stroll Down the Aisle

**Chapter 39: A Stroll Down the Aisle**

Soon the sanctuary was bathed in the soft glow of candlelight as Pachelbel's Canon was played. As one by one each window's candle was lit, the windows of the church reflected the light of the candles in the sills back out to the guests. Once thoses in the window sills were lit, candelabras were lit on both sides of the pulpit. From there, both Vance and Coy went over to the small tables that had been put up front inconspicuously on both the groom's and bride's sides.

On the groom's table there were two pictures with three candles in front of them. Sitting on the front row, Jesse could see that the pictures were of four special people in the couple's lives. One photograph was of Luke's parents. Vance lit the candles in front of the picture then lit one in front of the other photograph; a picture of Lavinia. The woman who had been Jesse's wife and had raised Luke as her own. Coy lit the candle over on the bride's table where a photograph of Jo's grandmother, who had helped to raise her while her father was stationed overseas, sat.

From where Tracy was sitting, she couldn't see what all was going on but read in her program that the men should be lighting candles in memory of family members who had meant a lot to the couple but could not be here due to their passing years ago. It irked her to no end that while she should have a front row seat for her daughter's wedding, she was delegated to the back row instead.

Once all of the candles were lit, Coy and Vance went over to the door of the pastor's study and lightly tapped to indicate that it was time for the men inside to come out. The preacher (affectionately known in the county as Holy Joe) led Luke as well as the other groomsmen out of the office and each took their place. Bo was beside Luke as the best man, Judd, Jebb, Vance, and lastly, Coy all stood at the front of the church as they waited for the bridal party to enter the room.

Now that was a sight that was worth getting a picture of. All six Duke Boys lined up in their suits, looking their finest. Apparently someone else thought that as well since flashes from cameras that didn't belong to the photographer snapped as a shot was stolen quickly before the rest of the ceremony began.

As the music continued to fill the church, the doors to the back of the sanctuary were opened and Daisy was the first to appear with her bouquet of Blue Celeste Sweet Peas mixed with Peony and Snowball flowers. She slowly made her way down the aisle and then Kira was next, wearing a duplicate of the gown that Daisy was wearing carrying her own bouquet of flowers. Next, both of Jebb's sisters walked in side by side and left white and pale blue flower petals in their wake. The guests were confused when they then saw Pauline walk into the sanctuary wearing a pale blue dress that matched her daughters' dresses carrying both of the twin boys.

Kira handed her bouquet to Daisy as both she and Jebb knelt down and held their arms out as Pauline put them down when she was near the end of the aisle. Once the boys were on the floor they made their way to their parents, each holding a ring box. Of course things didn't go quite as perfectly as planned. Mikey threw the ring box at his father and hit him in the head and started to laugh as Jebb caught the box and picked him up.

There were oohs and awws heard around the church and even a few giggles at the cute way the youngest Dukes had been included in their _Uncle Luke's_ wedding.

Jebb handed his box to Bo who held onto it for the moment. Pauline then took the boys once more and sat with them on the front row beside her husband near the wall side of the pew. Jesse was sitting in the seat of honor at the aisle.

In the foyer, Stephanie did one last check of Jo's train then stepped through the door and paused long enough for Thomas to close the door behind her before she slowly made her way toward the front of the church and took the ring box from Kira before standing next to Daisy, closest to the pulpit.

Once Stephanie was in place the music changed and everyone in the church stood turning as the doors opened in the back of the church to reveal Jo standing at the threshold ready to walk down the aisle. More than a few intakes of breath could be heard in the sanctuary as everyone saw the bride standing there in her long white gown with silver beads on the bodice.

The general extended his left arm to his daughter and began to slowly escort her down the aisle, perhaps taking slower than necessary steps as he did so. When he reached the end of the aisle, the minister started right into the ceremony.

"Dear family and friends, I call upon all of you gathered here to be fellow witnesses with me in the marriage of Joanna Hart and Lukas Duke. The decision to marry is based in love and founded upon sincerity and understanding, which leads to a relationship that is rich in confidence and trust.

A strong marriage is dependent upon many factors. Beyond the love, respect and trust that you share with one another, there must be a strong sense of commitment and loyalty that bonds you. A shared faith and beliefs in God, and His grace in your lives, is important in building a strong marriage. And also important are a shared companionship and a willingness to communicate openly with one another. This respectful communication and the love that it displays, helps each partner to accept and understand the other's strengths and weaknesses and allow for the continued growth that is necessary in all good and lasting marriages.

As you are joined together in matrimony here today, in my presence and in the presence of your family and friends, I am to remind you of the serious and binding nature of marriage.

The commitment of marriage is one of the most important commitments that two people will make in their lifetime. Marriage, as most of us understand it, is a voluntary and full commitment of a man to a woman and a woman to a man. It is made in the deepest sense, to the exclusion of all others, and is intended to last a lifetime.

The vow of marriage is a pledge of everlasting love, within the unity of matrimony, whereby, committing to share all that life has to offer, the good times and the bad, with patience and understanding. For a marriage to remain strong, your faith in that vow must never waver. It must remain strong through the trials of everyday life. The words that you speak to each other today are to be the cornerstone for your life together from this day forward.

May I ask, who gives this woman to be wed?"

Thomas spoke up, "I do."

From the back, Tracy crossed her arms. He could have said her mother and I do.

Thomas slipped up in front of Jo and lifted her veil and gave her a kiss on her cheek before placing her hand in Luke's. He then headed to his place on the front row opposite of the Dukes after making sure that Jo's veil laid down right. Luke and Jo now stood beside one another both grinning at the other.

The minister continued, "Lukas and Joanna, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?"

Both bride and groom answered together, "We have."

"Will you love and honor each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives?"

"We will." Luke answered barely hearing the preacher. He was still taking in the sight that Jo made in her dress. Standing here now seemed a little unreal. Back when he was a boot and first met Jo, he never imagined that he'd one day find himself getting married to the blonde angel.

"Now, you will repeat the vows after me, (nodding toward Luke to indicate that he was to go first):

Joanna, as proof of my love for you, I promise to join your life with mine from this day forward. I will respect you and cherish you always. I promise to share with you all that life has to offer. I give myself to you, in kindness, unselfishness and trust, as we strive towards achieving a full and complete life together. I, Luke, take you Jo, to be my lawful wedded wife and partner, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health as long as we both shall live."

The minister then nodded toward Jo before they continued.

"Lukas, as proof of my love for you, I promise to join your life with mine from this day forward. I will respect you and cherish you always. I promise to share with you all that life has to offer. I give myself to you, in kindness, unselfishness and trust, as we strive towards achieving a full and complete life together. I, Jo, take you Luke, to be my lawful wedded husband and partner, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health as long as we both shall live."

Bo handed the ring that Mikey had delivered to Luke.

"Now I ask that God bless this ring that Lukas will give Joanna as a symbol of their love and fidelity. Now place the ring on her finger and repeat after me; Joanna, with all that I am and all that I have, I give you this ring as a symbol of my everlasting love."

Afterwards, it was Jo's turn to give Luke a ring. Somehow she felt that the women in Hazzard may need a reminder that Luke was now taken. Stephanie swapped Jo's bouquet for her ring to place on Luke's hand.

"Lukas, with all that I am and all that I have, I give you this ring as a symbol of my everlasting love." Once the ring was on Luke's hand, Stephanie silently handed Jo her flowers back.

The minister paused before once again carrying on. "As you begin your married life together, hold close to you the words that you have spoken to each other today. Life isn't always an easy road, as you both know. Rely on your faith in your vows made today to see you through those times. In times of trouble be strong. Ask God to grant you the gifts of caring and understanding in your life together, allowing that each may be to the other a source of strength in need, a counselor in times of uncertainty, a comfort in times of sorrow, and a companion in your joys.

You have declared before all of us that you will now live your lives together in marriage. You have made special promises to each other, which have been symbolized by the joining of hands, taking of vows and giving and receiving of the rings.

By the authority vested in me as a Minister of the Great State of Georgia, I now pronounce you to be husband and wife. You may kiss her, now, Luke," Holy Joe said with a grin on his face.

When Luke went in for his first kiss as a married man, he started to hear cat calls from halfway down the church. Cooter was leading the single men of Hazzard in calling out to the newly married man. Behind Cooter, Brody and Dobro had joined in with the teasing and whistles. Luke could swear he even heard Cletus hollering out a few calls.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now my honor and pleasure to present to you, for the first time as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Lukas Duke!"

The congregation rose to their feet and all applauded the couple, even the women who had secretly hoped that Luke wouldn't be able to say those damning words that would make him officially off limits.

John could hear his brother mutter under his breath, "It's about time." He chuckled then turned his attention to his wife and handed her his handkerchief so that she could wipe her eyes.

Luke and Jo made their way toward the end of the church followed by Bo and Stephanie, Judd and Daisy, Jebb and Kira, Vance and Emma, and Coy with Emily. The girls felt all grown up being escorted by their male cousins just like their older female cousins. Once the party all made their way out, Vance and Coy returned to slowly allow the onlookers to follow, with the front rows being first.

Jesse and Thomas both walked out after shaking hands and followed their children on out the back. Behind them were John and Pauline each carrying one of their grandchildren.

From there, the guests were released to follow as well, one row at a time. From front to back. Which meant that Tracy was the last to be allowed to leave the sanctuary. By the time that she had gotten to where her daughter and brand new son-in-law were standing to shake the hands of their guests just on the inside of the church, most of the other guests had already gone to their cars to head toward the local bar for the reception.

Luke and Jo still needed to sign the license and Stephanie and Bo were staying behind to sign as their witnesses. The rest of the bridal party each had their own jobs to attend to.

Still, it seemed that at least Pauline and John were still around, as well as Thomas. When Tracy finally came face to face with Jo the tension in the air was so thick that it actually seemed harder to breathe in the winter's chilled air in the doorway.

"Are you certain that I can't stay for the reception? I really think that I ought to be there," Tracy said as leaned in for a hug from her daughter who leaned back away in response.

"Don't push it. I said you could stay for the wedding. Now it's time to leave," Jo said in a hushed tone to prevent the remaining guests from hearing her.

"But! It isn't right!" Tracy said none too quietly; causing the remaining guests filtering out to stop and turn to see what the ruckus was about. "Whether you like it or not I am your mother. It is my right to be a part of all of this."

Luke's eyes flashed a bit. "You're right about one thing. It ain't right. It ain't right that a woman who abandoned her child, without even so much as sending a single birthday card for thirty years shows up out of nowhere and decides that she's owed something after all of this time. In my opinion, it ain't even right that you were allowed to stay for the wedding at all. Jo said that you could stay for it though, and now you're gripin' that you want more."

"This doesn't concern you. I was talking to my daughter."

"Actually it does concern me now seeing as how she just became my wife. And she told you that it's time for you to leave."

From where Thomas was watching from the bottom of the church stairs, he couldn't help the smile of satisfaction that briefly crossed his lips as he saw his daughter's brand new husband put Tracy in her place; effectively sending her packing. Once Tracy got in her car and headed away from where the other cars were pointed, Pauline, too, smiled in satisfaction as she got in her car with her husband and youngest daughters.

Once the license was signed, Luke was half tempted to take the long way to the reception. Unfortunately, his Uncle Jesse must have thought about that. He'd had Coy drive the General Lee for Bo to the Boar's Nest. He had planned for Bo and Stephanie to have to ride with the bride and groom to insure that they would show up for their own reception. So not only was it the jobs of the best man and maid of honor to see to it that the couple made it to the wedding, but the reception as well.

Knowing when he'd been beat, Luke helped Jo into the Jeep (which was outfitted for the winter with both the doors and the cover on to block out the winter's chill as opposed to how Daisy usually drove it the rest of the year) while Bo helped Stephanie into the back and climbed in beside her. Then a matter of moments after making the marriage all official with the signing of the license, the couple, as well as the best man and maid of honor were on their way to the reception.

~01~

Over at the bar, the guests were treated to many of the local favorites as an evening meal. Boss, for one, was not waiting for the bridal couple to make it to the reception before he began to pile a plate high to ensure that he got what he deemed _his share_ of the food. Of course Lulu was mortified by her husband's poor manners. Otherwise, everyone gathered was laughing and having a good time while waiting for the guests of honor to show.

When Pauline and John walked into the bar, she saw her oldest, Karen, along with her husband sitting with Jebb and Kira. Her daughter and son-in-law were playing with the toddlers at a group of tables that had been set up and were saving seats for Pauline and John along with their twin daughters.

Maybe it was the emotional high from the wedding today, but looking at her son with his small family seemed to tug at her heart. It made her feel sad and more than a bit guilty. While she had actually been asked to participate in the wedding today (something that she had not expected but had been more than willing to do so once asked) she had not even been at her own son's wedding. The most bitter realization to accept was that she had no one to blame but herself for that.

Pauline had fought Jebb's relationship with Kira tooth and nail. Even though she had not met Kira until after it was known that she was Bo's long lost twin sister, Jebb had been dating her off and on while she had been in law school and had gotten serious with her once she'd graduated. In fact, Jebb had already bought a ring for his, at that time, girlfriend long before he'd learned that Kira was also his cousin. Pauline just hadn't been able to get past that; regardless of the fact that the relationship had already been taken to the point of no return by that time.

It had been more than two years ago now that Jebb had left the house when she'd given him an ultimatum trying to get him to see her point of view. Instead, though it had taken her a long time, Pauline saw that her son wouldn't have been happier with anyone else. Not to mention she wouldn't have her two beautiful grandbabies neither. As much as she hated to admit it, when it came to those two; She. Was. Wrong.

When Cooter (who had decided to stay out on the road to serve as a lookout to give the guests a heads up when the bridal couple got close to the bar) CB'd that the Jeep was only a couple miles out, everyone got up and started to gather around to wait for them to come into the bar for the reception. As everyone moved toward the door, Pauline put a hand on her son to stop him and Kira.

Jebb turned with a questioning look on his face. "Something wrong?"

"Before Luke and Jo get here, we need to talk." Jebb saw the look on his mother's face and nodded as he and Kira followed Pauline off into the back corner.

"Are you alright, Mom?"

"I just thought that this was overdue. I never apologized for missing ya'lls wedding."

"Mom-"

"No, let me say this now or else I won't be able to," Pauline interrupted her son. "And don't expect me to say it again, but I was wrong and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have behaved the way I had when you first decided to marry Kira."

Jebb squeezed his wife's hand as they exchanged a glance. "Well look on the bright side. At least with the way things worked out, I was able to get married while wearing a comfortable pair of jeans." Jebb laughed as he pulled his mother in for a hug.

"Oh, I don't know. I think that once you reach your tenth anniversary, you should renew your vows. And I'll definitely want to be there for that."

"Hey, you mean I'll already be married and still have to wear a monkey suit?" Jebb pulled away from his mother and acted horrified at the suggestion.

"It could be worse, Daisy could choose the suit." Kira grinned knowing that Jebb had been the only one that Daisy hadn't gotten with her prank earlier. Jebb shuddered at the suggestion. "Does this mean that after two years, you are going to finally welcome me into your family?" Kira eyed her mother-in-law, only half joking by the statement.

"No, I think that I should ask you to allow me into yours instead." Pauline gave a weak smile. "I really am sorry."

Jebb and Kira both pulled Pauline in close to them.

"Come on, Jo and Luke are probably pulling into the lot by now," Kira said as she pulled back. She never was really big on touching scenes.

"Then we can have a party. Come on, Mom. You've been planning for this night for a long time," Jebb said as he kept one arm around his mother. He never would have thought that he'd hear his mother say that she'd been wrong about anything. Much less about him and Kira. Perhaps miracles really do happen.


	40. To the Bride and Groom!

**Chapter 40: To the Bride and Groom!**

When Luke and Jo walked into the Boar's Nest, they were greeted by a round of applause by those who had been invited to the reception. Of course, along with the applause there were a few more cat calls directed toward the man who was no longer a bachelor. Luke took it in stride, knowing that this was really only the beginning. He could look forward to an awful lot more in the coming months.

Luke and Jo greeted those that came up to them and everyone who had yet to eat (since Boss was already well on his way through his second helping) each grabbed a plate and began to enjoy the meal that had been laid out for them. Guests would stop by the bridal table and wished the couple well and the evening was, right frankly, going by a little too smoothly. Which made Luke wonder what his cousins and friends had planned for him. He knew them too well to believe that there wouldn't be something before the night was over.

When Cooter stood up to deliver a toast, Luke groaned. _He would be the one that had been chosen to be the spokesperson!_ Well, at least he wouldn't have to spend the rest of the evening wondering what was planned.

"Now, I've been Luke's friend ever since he was lookin' to hang out with some of us older kids when we were all growin' up. Lookin' at him now, it's hard to picture him as the little kid that was a tag along. Though he ended up getting his own tag along later on and he's still dealin' with him."

"Hey! Watch it!" Bo shouted from his table which caused everyone to break out in laughter. Only Cooter could get away with calling Bo or Luke a tag along. "I'd hate to have to ruin the party by takin' you down a notch or two, Old Man!" Bo added but ruined the effect by laughing along with everyone else.

"As I was sayin'," Cooter said as he looked across the room at the Dukes. "I believe nearly every father in Hazzard has been wonderin' just what it would take to make an _Honest Man_ out of my buddy, Luke. Well, shot guns wasn't the way to do it fellas! To get Sergeant Duke to settle down it took much more than that. It has taken the might of the U.S. Marines to back him into a corner. He is now at the bottom of the chain of command!"

Cooter paused to allow all of those did not know the military background of both the bride and her father to wonder what he was talking about. "Our very own Lukas Dukas now not only has a wife to answer to, but she was a captain in the Marines and her father there is a general! Luke, if I's you, I'd make real sure that I don't end up in the Brigg. Although, I guess this means that if you end up comin' home late after a night out here at the Boar's Nest, you'll have to drop and give your captain twenty. I don't think I want to ask twenty what!"

Luke spat out his drink at the comment. Glancing at Jo, Luke saw that she was blushing at Cooter's crude allusion.

"Cooter." Strange how the tone that was supposed to warn Cooter only spurred him on.

"Of course Luke ain't quite as young as he used to be so I suppose too many nights of stumblin' in late just might kill em. Though, if the captain did put him out of his misery, I think he'll die a happy man." Again, folks started to laugh at both the comment and the reactions that Cooter had gotten from the couple. "So, Buddy Roo, here's to havin' to salute every time you go home." Cooter winked as he raised his glass.

"Well, I guess it could have been worse," Jo whispered to Luke through the giggles.

"I'm sure it will be when everyone else ain't around," Luke said under his breath as the room all sipped their shine.

Boss had known that there would be shine for the reception and had tried his best to have the Dukes caught brewing it. Fortunately, it was already made and stowed away by the beginning of the year from when Jebb went back home to Placid for Christmas.

Jesse had struck a deal with Boss saying that if Boss didn't give the family any grief about the sippin' shine for the wedding, J.D could sell any that was left over after the reception in his bar. That meant that he'd be able to sell quality whiskey in his bar (and charge more for it than he does his usual whiskey) and make a bit of a profit. It was still funny though to watch Boss try to find the stash beforehand. Of course, no one thought to look in the old silver mines that ran from Jebb's place to the old farm house.

Various friends and family members made their own toasts, including Jesse who choked up without finishing his. Finally, Bo stood to give his own speech.

"Luke, I can't remember a time that you ain't been there for me. Even when you were away in the Marines, you'd try to keep me out of trouble when I'd tell you some hairbrained idea I had. And as Cooter had to point out, when we were little I tended to be a bit of a tag along. And no, I guess I ain't never really stopped; though I don't plan to follow you down the aisle," Bo said laughing a bit. Some of the women in the room seemed more than a bit disappointed at Bo's declaration that he planned to stay single.

"Those that fight it the most, Cuz," Jebb laughed as he lightly teased Bo, "end up the most whipped."

"You'd know," Bo shot back as the guests chuckled at the banter. "Besides, there are three other Duke Boys who are older and ahead of me in line. So don't go and look for me takin' a stroll down the aisle anytime in the future. Anyway, Luke, you've been by cousin, my brother, my roommate, and my best friend and I don't know what I'm goin' to do without ya at arm's length no more. I wish ya all the happiness in the world."

Luke got a little choked up in response to Bo's speech but it seemed that Bo was too. "To Luke and Jo!" The room seconded the last line and everyone once again sipped their shine.

Now it was time for the cake to be cut and as the couple joined hands to cut it, Jo murmured to Luke, "Don't you dare mash any in my face."

"I wouldn't think of if." Luke grinned as he put two slices of cake on a plate. Jo gave Luke a questioning look but it soon turned to a look of surprise as Luke put one slice of the cake right into the cleavage of her dress instead of feeding it to her.

"Lukas!" Jo squealed as she felt the icing on her bare skin.

"Don't worry, I'll clean it up." Luke smirked. Of course he didn't try to retrieve any cake or icing that went below the low neck-line, instead he whispered "Later," to Jo with a wink.

Jo grabbed a napkin and wiped at her chest. Though between Luke's promise of later and the look of envy in the eyes of many of the women in the room, Jo couldn't really be upset at Luke. When he once again held a slice of cake in his hands, Jo eyed him a bit wary but this time he fed it to her in a nice way. Jo then returned the favor though she'd have to admit she was looking forward to their private reception later on. After the rest of the guests were given their cake as well, music was turned on for the couple to take to the floor for their first dance as man and wife. The song that was played was Heaven by Bryan Adams.

_(Lyrics removed to remain in accordance with fanfiction's rules.)_

From where Daisy was watching, she smiled at her cousin and his brand new wife with a few tears in her eyes. When the song started to come to an end, Daisy nudged the general since she knew that he wasn't expecting the next song.

"General, I think that it's tradition for you to cut in and dance the next song with the bride."

Thomas eyed the younger woman before stepping forward to place a hand on Luke's shoulder. Seeing that his father-in-law was cutting in, Luke placed Jo's hand in her father's hand and stepped back as the next song was cued up. When the song started, Thomas raised his brows at it. It was Daddy's Girl by Red Sovine.

"I had a hard time finding the right song for us. This one seemed to fit the best," Jo said as they began to dance to the cute song about a father and his daughter. It wasn't quite the usual song that was played for a father daughter dance, but they had fun dancing to it anyway.

_(Lyrics removed to remain in accordance with fanfiction's rules.)_

Once the father and daughter finished dancing the floor opened up for everyone else to join in and the whole room soon was on the dance floor while Luke and Jo once again began to dance together. A few times one of the other cousins would cut in; even Jesse danced with the bride once and commented on how lovely she looked.

Of course, a few women would try to hint at Luke, trying to get him to ask them to dance as well though Luke made a conscious effort to only dance with women who were_ safe_. Meaning older married women like Lulu or other women that he'd never dated. The last thing he wanted to do was start his honeymoon off getting the third degree about the various women that he'd danced with at the reception.

When the evening grew later, and some of the guests in attendance started to slip away (mainly the ones who had children and who needed to relieve babysitters so they could go to school the next day) Luke and Jo figured that they had better prepare to make their own exit as well. Though first, they had both the garter and the bouquet toss to get out of the way.

Once the single men were gathered around, (Vance, Coy and Judd all had to physically drag Bo to that end of the room since he felt he didn't need to go. He was planning on staying a bachelor after all) Luke dropped to his knees and proceeded to lift Jo skirt (whose chair was facing toward the wall and not the men).

Cooter made a remark about how Luke had best get used to being on his knees a lot. "Married men have to do an awful lot of beggin'."

As Luke slipped the skirt a bit higher, his only comment was, "With a view like this, I might not mind it at all."

Luke looked up at Jo and gave her a suggestive look. Jo was glad that she was facing the wall for two reasons. One, after that look, she was certain that her face was beat red. Two, Luke certainly didn't seem to worry much about her modesty just now. If she'd been turned around, the whole room would have had a good view up her skirt, not just him.

Luke slipped a thumb and finger under her garter belt and slowly slipped it down her leg as he kept his eyes fastened onto hers. If he didn't hurry up, she was going to smack him. Once the garter was off, Luke moved his hands to lower Jo's skirt and allowed his hand not holding the garter to brush her inner thigh as he did so. All the while, giving her a look of challenge to see if she's stop him.

Once Jo's skirt was smoothed back down and she was once again presentable, Luke stood and scanned the small group of men that was gathered. Luke's gaze fell on Bo and chuckled when he saw that while he'd been forced to join the men, he wasn't planning on making a catch. He had both of his hands in his pockets.

Grinning, Luke turned his back and when Brody made a count to three, Luke let the garter fly as he shot it backwards like a slingshot. Everyone except Bo broke out in laughter as they realized who the lucky bachelor was. When Luke turned back to face the room, he was greeted by the sight of the garter resting on Bo's head. Luke broke out in laughter with the rest of the room. He wasn't sure if he could make that shot or not.

Bo's face turned a light shade of red as he removed the offending garment and tossed it back to Luke. "That doesn't count. I didn't catch it, it landed on me."

"Oh it counts, Cuz," Luke said and enjoyed watching his cousin as he started to argue with the other single Duke men about whether or not his neck would be the next one on the chopping block.

When Bo refused to keep the garter, Coy grabbed it and slipped out of the bar for a few moments. When he returned he went over and whispered to Luke and told him what he'd done with it. Knowing that it would bug Bo to no end with it where Coy put it, right on the rear-view mirror of the General Lee, he agreed with his other cousin about what they should then do with the garter.

"I think that's a good idea. And Bo, since you refused to keep it, you can't remove it from where I've decided to keep my memento of my wedding."

Bo gave his cousins a look then headed outside like Coy had since he had a bad feeling about where Coy had put it. When he got outside and looked at his beloved car, screams could be heard inside.

"Oh Hell no!"

While Bo continued to disown the garter belt (and try to convince Luke not to store it in their shared car) all of the single women gathered for the bouquet toss. Daisy saw Kim Appleby still sitting in her seat so she went over to her and pulled her along with her just as the boys had done to Bo.

"Daisy, I really don't want to try for the bouquet. I'll stay here and let someone else try for it instead," Kim said trying to convince the other brunette to go on without her.

"Now, honey, that didn't work for Bo and it ain't goin' ta work for you."

Both Daisy and Stephanie were beside Kim when Jo let the bouquet fly. Daisy stepped forward to try to grab it in mid-air but missed it by inches. Instead, the flowers landed in Kim's hands.

Darcy, Daisy's date for the wedding, breathed in a sigh of relief that Daisy hadn't caught the bouquet. They'd gone out off and on for years and he'd faced Bo and Luke on more than one occasion when he brought her home late but he didn't want her to think that they ought to go runnin' down the aisle just because she caught some flowers. When Daisy decided to marry him he wanted it to be because she realized that she loved him; not just the idea of a wedding.

"See now, honey, and here you didn't want to even try for it." Daisy grinned and congratulated Kim on her catch and then went with everyone else to throw rice at the bride and groom as they prepared to head out to the cabin for their wedding night. They wouldn't head out for their honeymoon until the morning.

Once everyone was bidding farewell to the newly married couple, Kim placed the bouquet on a nearby table and headed toward the back door of the bar; unnoticed by the other wedding guests.

As the couple got into the Jeep, Cooter nudged Bo. "How long before them two end up with another little Duke around?"

Bo raised an eye as he answered, knowing what Coy had left in Luke's suitcase after it was taken over to the cabin. "I think that Jebb and Kira may want to pack up some of the boys' older stuff for them. I bet it won't be long at all."

**/**

**Author's note:**

**For those of you who have never heard Daddy's Girl by Red Sovine, I highly recommend that you Youtube it. It's very cute.**


	41. Waiting To See What Happens Next

**Chapter 41: Waiting To See What Happens Next**

Luke and Jo ran through the down pour of rice that rained down on them by the guests as they made it out of the door and to the Jeep out in the snowy lot. Luke hated that the roads were so slick because that meant that he'd have to drive more carefully than he otherwise would have to drive on the roads that he has driven nearly his whole life. Of course he was still able to drive out to the cabin at a much faster speed than most other folks would have driven on the icy roads.

Once he and Jo reached the cabin, Luke helped Jo out of the car and saw that someone had already shoveled and put salt out on the new driveway for them. When they got to the door, Jo was taken by surprise when he picked her up for the traditional carrying of the bride over the threshold. She knew that Luke had been raised with old fashioned values so Jo really shouldn't have been all that surprised.

Once inside, everything became a bit of a blur as the two made their way toward the bedroom of the small cabin. When the two fell onto the bed, Luke began to work the zipper down the back of Jo's long dress. When he finally got it unzipped, Luke started to push the dress down off of Jo's shoulders and past her breasts. Luke broke the kiss and worked his way down and indeed began to fulfill his promise of cleaning the cake crumbs and icing off of Jo from where he'd put the slice of cake down the front of her dress during the reception.

Right frankly, Luke by far preferred eating the cake off of his new delectable bride than the plate that he'd used at the reception. Although he wasn't sure who was enjoying his light snack more, him or Jo.

As Luke continued to remove every tiny crumb and bit of icing from Jo's chest, she squirmed and breathed heavily as she felt Luke's warm mouth work its way around her breasts while he sought every single morsel that he'd put down her dress. Finally, she couldn't take anymore teasing so she began to tear Luke's shirt off of him which spurred him to push her dress the rest of the way down past her hips. In no time at all, the rest of their clothes were shed and abandoned in heaps on the floor.

Even though Luke had been with Jo in this very cabin only yesterday, it seemed as if it had been a lifetime ago. Both of them had so much time to make up for since Jo had spent most of their engagement in New York. Not to mention, they'd spent years thousands of miles apart with only letters between them.

Now the blonde angel in his arms would be his and his alone from here on out. Soon, so much heat was radiating off of the two newlyweds, they never felt the chill of the cabin as it cooled. They had not bothered to stoke fire in the living room before heading to the bedroom. In fact, both newlyweds felt as if they were going up in flames.

~01~

When the family had finished cleaning up after the reception everyone headed back toward the two farm houses and tried to calm down enough to get some rest. Though it was clear that very little sleep would be gotten by anyone named Duke tonight. Each were still running with a full head of steam. Jesse decided that there would be no point in trying to send the younger folks on to bed so he didn't even try. The fellas seemed to have an inside joke running between them and there were sounds of laughter and chuckles coming from the boys' bedroom.

No, not boys'. Now it was just Bo's bedroom. That room was no longer Luke's anymore. He was married and, even though he still lived on Duke land, this farmhouse would no longer be the home that he went to at the end of the day. He now had a place that he'll call his own and share with the one girl who had finally gotten that boy to settle down after all of these years.

Somehow, Jesse felt the house would be a bit quieter than it had ever been, despite the fact that Luke had never been much of a talker. No, he'd been the schemer. He'd always been one to observe his surroundings first before speaking his mind. Even so, a ruckus could be heard from time to time coming from either the upstairs bedroom that he'd shared with Bo since they were little or out in the yard when those two would have a row. They'd been raised like brothers so it was only natural that they'd fight like brothers. But like brothers, they always would come around afterwards even closer (if that had been possible) than they'd been before.

Looking up toward the stairs, Jesse wondered how Bo was taking Luke's absence from the farm house. Oh he'd try to brush off any concern that others might show for him. He had been happy for Luke but his small speech tonight had shown Jesse that Luke wouldn't be the only one adjusting to life in the coming months.

In fact, the whole impact of Luke's marriage probably wouldn't even fully hit his youngest for a while yet. For now, he had his other cousins here for the next few days to distract him from the now empty bed upstairs. It will be those first few nights when Bo would head up for bed without the usual chatter that had long been a common practice while he and Luke had gotten ready for bed that it will really hit him.

Well, his boys had to start growing up sometime. Part of that growing up will be learning to live separate lives. His boys would be going through some growing pains in the coming days. Especially Bo. Luke could console himself with what he'd gained in the new arrangement. Bo couldn't. He would feel a bit lonely and unsure of what to do with his free time from now on. Luke would still be around, they'd hang out; but it will never be the same again. Bo is bound to feel a bit empty once everything really sinks in.

Jesse headed on up to bed to try to get some rest before breakfast; he was getting too old to stay up all night. Though if he was really honest with himself, he will probably have a hard time adjusting to not having all of his kids under one roof anymore. He had to keep reminding himself that this is precisely what he'd been wanting for years.

~01~

Upstairs, the remaining single Duke Boys were still wired and had brought out a jar of 'shine that they'd stashed upstairs before the wedding. Truth be told, they'd all drank a few sips from the jar before heading out this evening. Though Luke's sip was much closer to a swallow, but no one had called him out on it before he left. He was heading out to get married after all. So if he needed a little liquid courage none of them would give him any grief about it.

It was while the men had all been drinking the night before after the rehearsal that Coy and Bo had hatched out one final jab at Luke. All of the men had helped to take the last of Luke's things over to the cabin earlier in the day Monday. When they had finished, Luke had done his last minute packing for the trip to the Caribbean that the general was springing for as a wedding present for his daughter and new son-in-law. When Luke had tossed in a box of condoms in with his other stuff before closing his suitcase Bo and the other men teased him to no end.

The cousins all joked with him about how now that he was going to be a married man, he wouldn't have to worry about using them anymore. In fact, Jesse would probably have a cow if he knew that Luke was taking them. They all knew that Jesse had been itching for _grandchildren _for years, and while Jebb and Kira had the boys, it wasn't quite the same. He'd raised Luke, Bo, and Daisy as his own kids. It would be when one of them had kids that he'd finally get to be a Grandfather.

Luke had just let them all continue in their picking without explaining that he and Jo had decided that they should wait a little while before thinking about having a family. Honestly, Luke had never even thought about having kids before Jo's miscarriage. It was like he didn't know he wanted any until the one that he was going to have was taken away. Of course knowing all of the trouble that Kira'd had during her pregnancy, maybe he didn't want to risk Jo having a similar experience. For now, though, just being with Jo would be enough.

Somewhere along the way, before the wedding, Bo and Coy had figured that it would be a hoot to tamper with Luke's stash. A prank that seemed funnier while drinking moonshine. They figured that it would be funny to see just how observant Luke could be under, shall we say, rushed circumstances. While Bo had kept Luke busy before the ceremony, Coy took the salt over to salt the driveway along with one of Daisy's sewing needles.

With the needle, Coy had taken out the box from Luke's case and left a few surprises in its contents. Oh, some of the poke holes were less noticeable than others but surely the man who claimed that he never missed a thing would notice at least the larger holes left by the needle.

Of course, neither Bo nor Coy filled any of the other cousins in on their little prank. It would be some time before they knew whether or not it would have any repercussions. Bo doubt that anyone would really mind regardless of the outcome; even if they never knew of his and Coy's conspiracy to go ahead and send Luke picking out nursery furniture. After all, at his age, he shouldn't wait too long.

~01~

While the couple was away on their honeymoon, Cooter had been helping them out by looking for a good car that would be Jo's. Up until now, she'd rented cars when she needed one or borrowed Stephanie's and drove down but she'd need one of her own if she was going to live in Hazzard. When they'd come back, both sporting winter tans, Cooter had one ready for Luke to look at over at the garage. He had already taken care of the minor maintenance needed though he knew that Luke would still want to go over the car before taking it home and letting Jo drive it.

So here he and the car sat. Waiting for his favorite customers in all of Hazzard for their usual Saturday morning breakfast, though there would be nothing quite so usual about it today. There would still be beer and doughnuts, but the topic of conversation would be a bit different. This would be the first Saturday morning get together since Luke and Jo had gotten back from their honeymoon and there would surely be a lot to talk about it today.

When Cooter heard two power engines, he looked up to see both Bo and Luke (Luke driving) coming up in the General Lee with Jebb right behind them in his own blue charger that he'd recently dubbed the Stonewall Jackson after General Robert E. Lee's right hand man Lieutenant-General Thomas J. Jackson; also known as Stonewall Jackson. Jebb planned to have the confederate national flag painted on the roof this summer much in the same way that the General Lee had the confederate battle flag on its own roof. Then his car would look just like it's counterpart on the twins' baby blanket that Kira had made when she was pregnant.

By the way the two cars came in, Cooter guessed that the boys had raced all of the way from the farms. When the two Chargers pulled up they both slung sludge as they parked in front of the garage.

"Well, Luke, I wasn't sure if you'd make it out of the house just yet or not. Have any problems gettin' permission from your C.O. to come out here this mornin'?"

"Very funny, Cooter. Is that the car that you found?" Luke said as he climbed out of the stock car and walked toward the black Mustang that looked to be roughly the same year as the General. Cooter had it in the bay area of the garage. The men all went in and closed the bay doors to block out the winter's chill.

"Yep. Sure is. This beauty was just sittin' in the junkyard just as pretty as you please. Funny how some folks are so willin' to ditch a car just because they had an accident. Brought her over and since it's been a bit, slow me and the fellas knocked out the dents and fixed her up."

"Well let's take a look and see what all we have here," Luke said and walked around the two door car and then popped the hood. When he saw the supped up engine, he looked up and gave Cooter a questioning look.

"Well, if a Duke's gonna be drivin' this thing, a standard factory engine just ain't goin' ta cut it. Now would it?" Cooter grinned.

"Nah, I guess not," Luke said as he turned his attention to the car's innards. When he was satisfied with what he saw, he slammed the hood down and figured that he'd crawl underneath next to check it out from the underside. Before he could do so though, he saw that all three men had found a place around the garage to sit and were all staring at him with a look of expectation on their faces. "What?"

"You know what, Cuz. We've waited all this time to hear all the details about your honeymoon. So spill," Bo said with a cocky grin on his face.

"Ain't you the one that didn't want Jebb to share any details about his honeymoon?"

Bo made a face as he answered, "That was different, Kira is my sister. Jo ain't. So? Have fun?" Bo asked though he knew the obvious answer.

"Yeh, Luke. You know that you ain't gettin' out of here without tellin' us everything," Cooter added from his perch on a stack of tires.

"Or should we assume that age took its toll on you and there ain't much to tell," Jebb threw out from his own place on an upturned bucket that was serving as his own seat. He knew that it would only take a remark like that to get his oldest cousin to talking. Luke made a face at Jebb but conceded that he was going to have to at least share some of his stories from the honeymoon.

"Alright, I ain't sayin' I'll tell ya everything, but what'cha want to know?"

"Well, knowing you, even if you can remember the actual wedding night, you ain't sharin' none of that; so you can start with everything that happened after you left Hazzard," Bo said hopping up on the hood of the Mustang.

"Well, let's see, it rained the first two days that we were down in the Caribbean."

"Not that it mattered since you weren't likely to leave the room anyway," Jebb said from across the room.

"Probably not," Luke acknowledged with a grin. "But at least it gave us a good excuse to not go anywhere."

"Uh-huh. And?"

"And when the rain let up, we hit the beach some. The island we went to had a few out of the way areas that let me and Jo spend some time alone on the beach. Nearly got arrested for skinny dippin' in the ocean, though. Fortunately, the officer that caught us cut us some slack since we were newlyweds. Even whispered to me about a place that folks don't usually go to since the main roads didn't go there. Said that if we didn't mind a bit of a hike, we could go there and not worry about being interrupted."

"He didn't?" Cooter asked. How did Luke luck up with getting a cop like that? He'd been calling for someone to wire some bail money for sure if it had been him.

"Well, actually she did."

"A woman?" Jebb asked as he chuckled.

"The Duke luck helped a bit I guess. Not sure a man would have let me go."

"No, likely enough though, I'll bet she stayed and watched you and Jo leave. Or should I say, she watched as you left," Bo said knowing that both of them had been known to stop a few hearts when they went swimming with a girl or two. Luke just shrugged, not really commenting more on the officer.

"So, should we be expecting for Jay and Mikey to have any new playmates in the near future. If I don't ask, you know someone else will," Jebb asked as stood up and grabbed a beer out of the fridge.

"Actually Uncle Jesse has already asked."

"Well?" Jebb said as he twisted the top off of his beer.

"I don't think so. Not right yet anyway. I mean, it's only been a few months since Jo's miscarriage and all. Not to mention, I remember everything that you had to deal with when Kira was pregnant with the boys. I ain't so sure I want to risk that."

"So, that would be no to havin' any rugrats around anytime soon?" Cooter asked. "Then you'd better be real careful."

"You think?" Bo heard Luke reply. He and Coy hadn't thought about the miscarriage when they'd tampered with Luke's stash of condoms. "We're bein' careful, Coot. I think I know what I'm doin'."

"Cuz, I don't care how careful you are. You might still end up bein' a daddy."

"Speakin' from experience, Jebb?" Luke chuckled as he flipped the box of donuts open and grabbed one out before reaching for his own beer.

"Kira was on the pill when she got pregnant. So, yeh, I'm sayin' that if you don't want kids, short of surgery, there is only one way to do that. And frankly, Cuz, I don't think that you would survive long trying to live that way," Jebb laughed as he saw Luke take in what he'd said.

They had never really told the rest of the family much about what method of birth control he and Kira decided to use both before and after the boys came along. Especially after. Jebb didn't need any grief about being _neutered_. In fact, his mother had already commented about how the boys could use a brother or sister or two around. Too bad, there wouldn't be any more Dukes from his branch of the family tree.

"I didn't know Kira was on birth control. I thought that stuff was a sure thing," Luke said as he thought about his and Jo's discussion about what kind of birth control they should use.

"Nope. I think prayer would probably do ya better. You know how Uncle Jesse always says that if the Good Lord decides on it, won't nothing stop him from doin' what he wants to. You better tell him that you ain't ready for kids. And hope that he agrees."

"I don't know. I think it'd be fun watchin' Luke tryin' to figure out how to be a daddy. Jebb, maybe you and Kira should let Jo and Luke practice with the boys. They can babysit for ya then you and Kira can plan that trip to Mobile for the bike rally in May," Bo chuckled.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea," Jebb said. True, the family always tried to help out with the boys when they needed a sitter but this summer Kira didn't plan to be nursing them as much. That meant that they could take an overnight trip. Even hit a few races that they hadn't gone to last year.

"You're that sure that we'll need the practice, huh?"

"We'll see. How about we take the Mustang out and see what it's got?" Bo smirked at his cousin while changing the subject.

Since none of the men had even finished one beer, all of them climbed into their cars (Cooter rode shotgun in the Mustang with Luke) and all headed out of town for a quick race around the flats so they could let the cars go and show what they had. And being Dukes, they even had the Mustang make a few short jumps as they were seeing just what its horses could do.

By the end of the morning, the black car passed the Duke Road Test. Though it was no General by far, Luke could see havin' fun in this car when he wasn't off with Bo. Though he still intended to race his fair share of races in the General this upcoming racing season.

~01~

That night, after Jo had fallen asleep in his arms Luke laid there beside her thinking about everything that Jebb had said earlier. About how he and Kira had done everything_ right_ to avoid pregnancy and yet the twins were proof that sometimes God could have other plans. After all, if you really looked at it, them boys should have never been born.

First off, Kira was on the pill, then there was the wreck that nearly killed Kira (not to mention the boys). Next, there was the Eclampsia, the kidnapping, then being born weeks too early. And yet, they were now two healthy and active little boys.

Pulling Jo a little closer to him, Luke decided that while he and Jo still planned to wait a while before thinking about trying for any kids, if they ended up not having to try, Luke could live with that too. Provided that Jo didn't have half of the complications that Kira'd had during her pregnancy. For now though, Luke would just sit back and see what life had in store for him.


End file.
